Hotwired
by Phoenix-cry
Summary: This is the long awaited sequel to ‘Crosswired’...if you consider 12 hours a ‘long’ wait. Daniel's back with the team, but a new threat has arisen that may force old enemies to become new friends. Recently nominated for the Stargate Fan Awards.
1. Chapter 1

Hotwired

Description: (Angst, PG-13) This is the long awaited sequel to 'Crosswired'...if you consider 12 hours a 'long' wait. Daniel's back with the team, but a new threat has arisen that may force old enemies to become new friends.

Chapter One

Sam looked around her lab and sighed heavily. Sooner or later she was going to have to pick up the broken pieces of her spectral analysis equipment that Jack had thrown to the floor. She knew it was silly, but the loss of the sophisticated machine felt like losing a beloved pet.

Kneeling down carefully she started to sort through the tangle of metal and glass. There was one part that seemed to have survived the fall, more or less. She had just picked it up when there was a light knock at her door.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly and Daniel cautiously stepped inside. As much as Sam hated to admit it he looked like he'd just escaped from an Insane Asylum. His hair had grown long enough to actually look messy, rather than just 'stylishly spiked'. His every motion was awkward, as though he didn't quite have control over them. The bare feet and oversized white scrubs he wore just added to the picture.

"Hey, Sam."

"Hey." Sam greeted with a warm smile.

"What...um...what happened in here?" He asked looking at the mess.

"Oh, just a bit of an accident."

"Let me guess: Jack." Daniel chuckled.

Sam nodded ruefully. She stood up and placed the intact piece on the counter gently. Having rescued the piece she turned her attention on Daniel. It was odd to see him roaming around the base in the scrubs. The back of his hand had a small trickle of blood on it where he'd freed himself from the IV.

"Don't you have two more days of mandatory bed rest?" Sam asked with a raised eye brow.

"Yeah, well, please don't tell the Warden I'm up and about."

Sam smiled. She was pleased to see his sense of humour was intact. However he didn't look ready to be walking around. Even after only standing in her lab for a few minutes he'd reached out and put his hand on the counter to support himself.

Seeing the look he was receiving Daniel scanned the room. He'd been without his glasses for so long he was starting to get used to his slightly out of focus world.

"Ah, there it is." Daniel walked over to the draft table and retrieved his blue journal. "Something told me you had it."

"Oh," Sam flushed "I...um...I didn't read it."

"It's okay, there are no great secrets in here." Daniel smiled sadly and opened the book. "Most of it doesn't even mean anything, just rambling. It helps me think to write things down."

Daniel looked down a the deep blue journal. Although he was staring at the page he didn't seem to be reading it. When he didn't move Sam cleared her throat, but he didn't react.

"Daniel?" Sam asked concerned. "Are you alright?"

"No." Daniel admitted.

"Come on," Sam came up and placed her hand between his shoulder blades "I'll help you back to the infirmary."

Daniel peacefully allowed her to lead him a few feet. However he stopped suddenly. He tore his tired sapphire eyes away from his book and look to Sam. She suddenly found herself fighting the acid sting of tears. Daniel looked so lost.

"Am I doing the right thing, Sam?" Daniel asked quietly.

"The right thing?"

"To have sent Gabriel and Rea'beka away?"

"Daniel, no one expects you to willing allow yourself to be host to an unknown Goa'uld." Sam said seriously. "We don't even know if his story is true yet."

"What if it is? What if the Plague really is spreading?"

"Then we'll think of something. There has to be another way."

Daniel forced a smile, but seemed unconvinced. He glanced down at the book in his hands and closed it. He looked around the lab as though trying to figure out what to do next. He caught sight of the large lettering still up on white board.

"51, Nem?" Daniel read out loud. "What does that mean?"

"Rea'beka left us that note. It guided us to Nem who helped 'uncross your wires' for lack of a better term."

"And 51?"

"Area 51." Sam replied automatically.

"What about it?"

"Daniel, don't you remember? That's where you were being held, Rea'beka made a deal with them."

Daniel pulled away from Sam and stared at her in silent horror. The journal slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

"General O'Neill didn't tell you?" Sam asked shocked.

"What?" Daniel asked in a frightening calm tone. "That I was kidnapped and sold to torture by my own government...by the very agency that I work for, the country that I've risked, and even lost, my life for?"

Sam said nothing, she just nodded slightly.

"No," Daniel growled darkly "it must have slipped his mind."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Jack sat at his desk glaring at his unwelcome visitor. There was a sidearm in his desk drawer and it was taking all of his willpower not to pull it out and start firing until the chamber clicked. To help him resist temptation he folded his hands on his desk.

"You have a lot of gall coming here." Jack snarled bitterly.

"I came to apologize." Denahe said earnestly.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

"You won't let me see Dr. Jackson."

"Daniel's been through enough." Jack snapped. "So unless you have something else to say, get off my Base."

"I'd like us to be friends again, Jack."

"That is never going to happen."

Denahe took a breath to respond, however the ice that had settled in Jack's eyes stopped him. He sighed deeply and rose to his feet. He reached into the inner breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a neatly folded letter. He tried to hand the letter to Jack, but when he wouldn't take it he was forced to simply place it on the desk. Jack stared at for a moment and then picked it up.

"I need you to destroy that when you're finished." Denahe said seriously. "Or we'll both be Court-martialed...or maybe just shot."

"The Air Force has gotten into assassinations as well as kidnapping and torture?"

"Just read it."

"'Intel correct. Yellow Bird caged.'." Jack read quietly. He looked up sharply at Denahe. "This doesn't mean what I think it means?"

"It does." Denahe confirmed. "It will be in the papers in a few months time...once we're done with him."

"Bin Laden? Captured?" Jack said in disbelief. "I assume using something you got from those disks that you traded Daniel's sanity for."

Denahe nodded. Jack was silent for a moment. He leaned over and ran the letter through the shredder, turning it to confetti. Settling back into his chair Jack turned a murderous glare on Denahe.

"This doesn't change anything." Jack growled. 

Denahe stayed motionless for a second. Defeated he simply turned and left. Jack watched him go. After he was gone Jack rested his elbows on his desk and rubbed at his temples with his eyes closed. He heard his door open and close again.

"I have nothing more to say to you!" Jack cried angrily.

"That doesn't mean I don't have something to say to you." 

"Daniel?" Jack asked in surprise as he looked up.

"Who did you think I was?" 

"No one." Jack muttered.

"Really?" Daniel asked skeptically. "No one...not your friend from Area 51 out in the hall?"

Jack sat back in his chair and stared vacantly at the ceiling for a moment. When he look back at Daniel he could fully empathize with the look of pained betrayal that was pained on his face. It was the exact same look he'd given Denahe. He cursed the man once more, he had sworn to him that Daniel had never seen his face.

"You remember him?" Jack asked sadly.

"It's hard to forget someone who has stood over you while you fight for breath, callously discussing what an inconvenience your insistence on living is."

"Dan..."

"How could you not tell me?!" Daniel spat angrily. 

"I didn't know how to." Jack admitted. "Trust me, Daniel, if I had thought for one second that telling you would have hel..."

"'Trust'?" Daniel interrupted. "Jack, how am I supposed to trust anyone after this?"

"I've been asking myself that same question."

Daniel's temper instantly cooled, it hadn't occurred to him that Jack had been betrayed as well. Jack and Daniel just stared at each other, unsure of how to ask forgiveness of one another. The pair's silence was suddenly interrupted by the Gate alarm for an unscheduled activation. Eventually Jack pushed himself to his feet to attend to the alarm. Daniel wordlessly followed. 

"Who is it this time?" Jack grumbled.

"SG-7, Sir." The technician answered. "Radio transmission coming in."

"General O'Neill?" The radio squawked.

"I'm here, Colonel, what's your status? You're not due back for three more days."

"I know, Sir. Something's happened here...the whole city is...dying."

"Dying?" Jack repeated.

"Oh God...it's true..." Daniel whispered and walked away.

"Sir, it would seem that there is some sort of massive infection on this planet." Colonel Fisher clarified. "I've pulled my team back to the Gate to avoid further contact."

"Has your team been contaminated?" Jack asked sadly.

"It's hard to say, no one seems to know how the sickness is spread. Some of the inhabitants appear completely immune, others die in a matter of hours. This is a very recent development here, so there aren't very many answers."

"Alright, we're going to send some supplies your way. However, until we get this figured out...I'm afraid we're going to have to quarantine you on that world."

"Understood, Sir."

Jack watched the open wormhole collapse. He studied the deactivated Gate, lost in thought.

"A bit of a coincidence, don't you think?" Jack asked.

Jack received no answer. He hadn't even noticed Daniel leave.

"Daniel?" Jack looked around. 

Daniel was sitting down on the floor in the corner of the Control Room. He had pulled his knees up to his chest and had his head buried in his crossed arms. Jack rushed over and knelt down in front of him. He put his hand on Daniel's arm, but received no response.

"Come on," Jack said softly "back to infirmary."

"There's no escaping, is there?" Daniel moaned without looking up.

"Escaping?"

"From Fate."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Daniel stood in the shower room in front of his open locker. He had been working on the seemingly simple task of buttoning his lightweight blue jacket for what he deemed to be an unacceptable period of time. The amount of dexterity he had lost was frustrating, however it was slowly returning. 

He had just managed the last button that he was going to bother with when Teal'c entered. Teal'c stopped about four feet away and waited patiently. Daniel turned his attention to the Jaffa, already knowing what he was going to say.

"Daniel Jackson, may I speak with you?"

"Teal'c," Daniel replied exasperated "how many times do I have to tell you that you never need to ask permission to talk to me? I mean, when was the last time you saw Jack or Sam asking me that?"

"I do not believe I ever have witness such a thing."

"Exactly."

"However there are many rituals that I have never seen them perform that I practice regularly."

"Alright, okay...I give in." Daniel smiled. He stepped closer and put his hands up on Teal'c shoulders. "I, Daniel Jackson, herby give you, Teal'c, permission to speak to me at any time, for any reason."

Teal'c bowed slightly. Daniel waited patiently, but Teal'c did not continue. 

"Are you going to try and talk me out of this or not?" Daniel finally asked.

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed sadly. "You must not trust this Goa'uld. It is suicide."

"We all have to die sometime...some more often than others."

Daniel smiled, however it quickly faded. Teal'c waited for a moment, as if waiting to Daniel to return to the serious mood that this conversation demanded. Dragging his hands through his hair Daniel sighed heavily.

"Teal'c...I appreciate your concern, I really do. However, I am not afraid to risk death if it means a chance at stopping this Plague."

"I believe this will be a fate worse than death for you." Teal'c said bluntly.

Daniel skin chilled at Teal'c's words. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about it, he had...at length. It just didn't help his decision any to have one of his friends say the words out loud. Teal'c watched him patiently waiting for a response.

"Teal'c, if Gabriel takes me and goes on a rampage I have every confidence that it won't last long. You guys will find a way to kill us. Afterall, we haven't met a Goa'uld that we haven't bested yet."

"What of Anubis?"

"Anubis doesn't count." Daniel smiled, but once again Teal'c did not join him.

"A Goa'uld with your mind would be a most formidable enemy." 

"Thanks...I think."

"For this and many other reasons I must ask you once more not to honour this deal." Teal'c insisted.

"Teal'c, please understand," Daniel said seriously "I have to do this. I have no choice."

"You are free man, Daniel Jackson, you always have choices."

"Yeah, right." Daniel grumbled bitterly. "I can choose to trust Gabriel, or I can choose to stand by and watched the entire Galaxy fall ill and die."

"Da..."

"No." Daniel interrupted sharply. "Every moment that I spend avoiding the inevitable costs thousands of lives. This Plague is worse than any Goa'uld we've ever faced, it has no ambition, no will, no mind of its own. It can not be tricked, it can not be reasoned with. The only solution is a cure, and even the Ancients couldn't come up with one on their own. The only hope we have of survival is to combine Niacine and Ancient knowledge. And the only way to do that is to trust Gabriel." 

Teal'c said nothing. For a while he didn't move at all. Eventually he surrendered with a slight bow and left. Daniel stared after him for a moment and then turned back to his locker. Taking his handgun off the top shelf he pulled out the clip and checked it. 

Suddenly realizing that the weapon would be useless he placed it back in its holster and put it back on the shelf. He closed the locker door and stared sightlessly at it. Closing his eyes he rested his forehead against the cold metal door. He tried to convince himself that the trembling was simply a residual effect of the weight loss. 

Snapping out of his brush with self pity Daniel pulled away from the locker and straightened his back. Taking one last look around the empty locker room Daniel left and briskly made his way to the Gateroom.

Stepping into the Gateroom Daniel was surprised by two things. The first was that the Gate had already been opened. The vertical pool of blue light shimmered brightly. The second was the fact that Jack and Sam were there in full gear and heavily armed.

"What are you guys doing?" 

"What does it look like?" Jack asked with false innocents.

"It looks like you think you're coming with me." 

"You are a bright one, Dr. Jackson. I knew we couldn't fool you." Jack smiled. "Carter here didn't think you'd figure it out...but I stood up for you."

"I distinctly remember that conversation being the other way around." Sam teased.

"Stop it." Daniel growled irritably. "This isn't funny. Rea'beka's world is infected. You can't come with me."

Teal'c came in and joined the others. He stood by Daniel with his staff weapon in hand. Daniel looked up at him and to just about everyone's surprise Teal'c smiled brightly.

"Daniel Jackson, you may believe yourself choice less. However, we are still free to choose, and it is our choice to follow."

"I think what our loquacious friend here is trying to say is: you're stuck with us, Danny-boy."

Daniel looked to Sam as if she could help him talk them out of this. However, she just gave him a feigned look of helplessness. Daniel smiled and shook his head in defeat. 

"Jack," Daniel chuckled "where did you learn a word like 'loquacious'?"

"Hey, you may beat me at Chess, but I am the Scrabble Master."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Nervous?"

Daniel shot Jack a murderous 'what-the-hell-do-you-think?' glare.

"Right, sorry." Jack muttered. "Whoever said that there are no stupid questions obviously didn't have this situation in mind."

"Obviously." Daniel agreed darkly. 

To keep himself from pacing Daniel looked around the elegantly decorated room that they were waiting in. The Stargate had opened directly into what turned out to be an expansive temple carved out of ivory coloured marble that held rich veins of gold. 

It was beautiful, but it had a feel of disuse about it. They had only seen a few other people, however none of them would talk to them or even approach. Rea'beka explained that everyone was too fearful of contracting the Plague to trust getting too close to off-worlders.

It was unclear what this particular room's purpose was. There were alcoves in the walls that held orbs that gave off a soft glowing natural light. The team was currently standing at the far side of the room where a large window that held no glass looked out over an inner courtyard. It looked as though it might have once been neatly kept, but it was overgrown and wild now. The center of the room had an ornately carved marble table or possibly an altar. It was too narrow to be for dinning. 

"I do not like this." Teal'c growled.

"None of us do, Teal'c." Jack replied for the tenth time.

"I have seen tables much like this one before." Teal'c continued. "The Goa'uld used to lay their victims upon th..."

"That's enough, Teal'c." Jack hissed sharply. 

Teal'c bowed in apology.

"It's alright, Jack," Daniel voiced "he's right."

"What are the Niacinians doing with a Goa'uld Altar?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"It's not Goa'uld." Rea'beka replied as she stepped into the room. "Back when my people still held the knowledge of the Ancients they used to use it to perform what they called Enlightenment Ceremonies."

Sam looked up at Rea'beka. Back in her own environment she didn't have the look of debilitating fear in her eyes anymore. She wore a graceful dress made of a light white fabric. She stepped up to the near side of the table and placed her hands on it lovingly. Sam noted that Daniel had taken a step back. 

"Enlightenment Ceremonies?" Jack repeated in an acidic tone.

"The hand devices that the Goa'uld turned into weapons were originally used to draw the Ancient knowledge from the Niacines that carried it. My ancestors learned to use the devices on one another to help them build their civilization before the Fall."

"I see." Jack thought about it for a moment. "If that's the case, why do we need Gabriel to get the answers? Why don't we just used your little 'Enlightenment' trick?"

"She already tried." Daniel snarled.

"There I go with the stupid questions again." Jack muttered to himself.

An oppressive silence fell over the room. Rea'beka searched Daniel's eyes for any trace of forgiveness, however the only thing she found was ice. She sighed heavily.

"Daniel," Rea'beka said softly "I can't thank you enough for coming ba..."

"Just go get Gabriel." Daniel interrupted sharply. 

"Very well."

"Sam, Teal'c...would you go with her?" Daniel asked.

Sam looked to Jack and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Having her orders Carter and Teal'c stepped out of the room with Rea'beka. Daniel walked over to the ornate marble and hopped up on to it. Sitting on the table with his legs dangling over the edge he just stared out the window. The beautiful weather outside seemed to mock his situation. Jack shifted his weight uncomfortably and stepped closer.

"There's still time to back out of this, Daniel." Jack said honestly.

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I..." Daniel hesitated. "There was a time that I refused to help you...and I never apologized. I've always tried to convince myself that I did it for you, but the truth is I simply didn't have courage to put you out of your misery. I should never had allowed things to go as far as they did with Ba'al. For that I am truly sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It worked out in the end...so will this." 

"Jack, please, if this does go wrong, promise me that you'll be a better man that I was."

"I won't make a promise that I can't keep."

"Ja..."

"I'll never be a better man than you, Daniel." Jack interrupted with a sad smile. He put his hand up on Daniel's shoulder. "However, I can promise you that I will never let Gabriel keep you. Even if it means pulling the trigger myself."

"Thank you." 

Jack forced a smile, but it quickly faded as the others returned. Rea'beka held a golden urn like container that had a band of clear glass around its middle. Jack's heart automatically quickened its pace at the sight of the Goa'uld swimming around inside. 

Daniel didn't turn to look, he saw everything he needed to in Jack's expression. Sam came around the table and Jack took a few steps back to stand next to her. Teal'c stayed close behind Rea'beka. He looked like a lion being held back from his prey by an invisible chain. 

"I take it he left the other guy peacefully." Jack grumbled quietly to Sam.

"I don't really know." Sam whispered back. "He had already left the other host, he was swimming in the urn when we went to get him."

Jack looked up at Rea'beka suspiciously and narrowed his dark eyes. She lifted the Goa'uld out of the water and he wrapped around her wrist. She seemed completely at ease holding him, like a snake charmer with her favourite cobra.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Jack protested nervously "how do we even know that's Gabriel?"

Everyone but Rea'beka winced as the Goa'uld squealed.

"It's him." Daniel assured.

"How can you tell?" Jack asked.

"I recognize his voice."

"That's...disturbing."

"Yeah." Daniel sighed. 

Even though it was probably unnecessary Daniel laid down on his side on the hard marble surface. He managed a brave smile. Sam tried to return the gesture, but she couldn't keep her anxiety from showing through. She bit her lip nervously as he closed his eyes in response to Rea'beka carefully laying the Goa'uld down next to him.

Daniel gasped violently as Gabriel bit into the back of his neck. Sam turned away, she couldn't watch. Jack automatically collected her into his arms. She buried her face in his jacket as she heard Daniel starting to hyperventilate. He was trying so hard to hide his pain. 

Daniel suddenly broke and his voice strained against an animalistic cry of terror.

Sam was hit with the realization that it wasn't pain he fighting against, and somehow it just made the nightmare worse. She nestled herself deeper into Jack's protective embrace. He held her tighter and futilely pressed his hand against her ear. With her other ear against his chest she could his heart as it pounded frantically against its bone cage. She cringed as Daniel cried out again.

"It's almost over." Jack whispered reassuringly. 

"No...it's just beginning." 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"I can't! I can't do this!"

"Daniel, calm dow..."

"Jack?! Jack, help me!"

"I'm trying..."

Jack slowly took another step closer, trying to look as non threatening as possible. Daniel violently pushed himself harder into the corner of the room. Jack reached out to put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. When touched he screamed as though someone had pressed a white hot iron against his skin. Keeping back Sam watched helplessly, trembling almost as violently as Daniel himself.

Realizing he was doing more harm than good Jack took a few steps back. Daniel clawed at the back of his neck and raked four bleeding gashes from where Gabriel had bit him all the way down to his collar bone. With a heartbreaking cry he slid to the floor. 

Drawing his knees up to his chest he snaked his hands into sweat drenched hair and screamed incoherently. Jack didn't know what to do. He feared that Daniel was going to have a grand mal seizure at any moment. He was just about to ask Rea'beka if she had some form of sedative when Daniel suddenly relaxed. 

Although he remained in the corner the change was like someone had flicked a switch. Jack cautiously approached and knelt down in front of him. Daniel looked up at him with an unreadable expression.

"Daniel?" Jack asked quietly.

"No."

"Gabriel you slimy snake, let him go!" Jack roared. "Our deal was that you'd never take control. If you have something to say, tell it to Daniel, he can relay the message."

"Daniel is on the verge of insanity." Gabriel replied in his reverberating voice. "I took control to protect him."

"No! I don't believe that for a second. This experiment is over, I want you out of him right now!" 

"His blood pressure and heart rate are dangerously elevated. If I pull myself away from him now his heart could fail."

"I still want you to give him back control right now!"

"I'm just trying to make this transition easier for hi..."

"Listen closely you filthy parasite," Jack spat venomously "if I'm not talking to Daniel in five seconds I'm going to shoot you both!" 

Gabriel searched Jack's expression and saw that he was completely serious. Sam was surprised to see Gabriel turn to her with a look of desperation. When she turned away from his silent call for help he bowed his head in defeat.

Released from the Gou'ald's hold Daniel jerked as though he was reacting to falling backwards. He looked around frantically, gasping for breath once again. Pulling his knees tighter to his chest he buried his head in his crossed arms and shivered violently.

"Daniel, just take a deep breath."

"I...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Daniel stuttered as he tried to rein in his laboured breathing. "I should be stronger than this..."

"No, none of that." Jack said softly. "I wouldn't be handling it any better."

"This...this is just a fraction of what she went through." Daniel whimpered.

"What?"

"Sha're..."

Jack didn't know how to respond so he said nothing. Daniel rubbed the back of his hand across his cheeks to brush away salty tears. Closing his eyes he leaned his head back against the wall and took a few deep, controlled breaths. Desperately wanting to be of some help Jack rubbed Daniel's upper arm.

"I'm alright..." Daniel said unconvincingly. "I...I just need some time."

Daniel brought his weary gaze back to Jack and forced a smile. He held his hand out in a silent request to be helped to his feet. After standing up himself Jack grasped his hand and hauled him up. 

Despite looking like he was about to drop from exhaustion Daniel started towards the door. Teal'c moved into the doorway and raised his staff weapon level with Daniel's heart. When Daniel didn't back away Teal'c opened the weapon in preparation to fire.

"Teal'c, what the hell are you doing?" Jack asked in shock.

"Daniel Jackson is not to be trusted to be alone." Teal'c growled menacingly. 

"Teal'c don't be..."

"No," Daniel interrupted "he's right. You have no way of telling if I'm myself or Gabriel. I need to be guarded at all times."

Jack looked to Sam and she nodded in agreement. Rea'beka was just watching with tears streaking her face. However, Jack had no way of knowing who she was shedding them for. Giving in Jack walked up to Daniel and draped his arm over his friend's shoulders. 

"Alright." Jack sighed. "I'll take first watch." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

"I take it you and I are no longer on speaking terms?" Daniel asked sadly. 

Teal'c said nothing. He was like a statue in the doorway, taking his turn at guard duty seriously. 

"It's okay," Daniel sighed "I understand."

Daniel smiled as Teal'c granted him a slight bow. It was late at night, Daniel was tired, but he couldn't sleep. He paced the small temple bedroom for a moment. He froze when he heard Teal'c's staff weapon open. 

"Whoa, easy...what did I do?" Daniel asked alarmed before he realized that Teal'c wasn't pointing his weapon at him.

"I know you are there." Teal'c growled to the dark hallway.

"I'm sorry," Rea'beka's voice came from the shadows "I...I was just wondering if I could speak with Daniel alone."

"No." Teal'c said firmly. 

"Plea..."

"No!" Teal'c barked.

"Teal'c, let her in. I want to talk to her anyway."

"I will not leave you two alone."

"I don't want you to." Daniel assured. "I have no interest in being alone with her. I don't even really want to talk to her, but I need to. Please."

Teal'c thought about Daniel's request. Eventually he closed the staff weapon. He stepped aside and after a moment of hesitation Rea'beka scurried into the room. She walked up to Daniel, but he stepped back to keep some distance between them.

"Daniel, I..."

"Gabriel's been telling me some disturbing things about you." Daniel interrupted.

"What?"

"I thought I'd be fair and hear your side."

"W...what has he told you?"

"I think the thing that's bothering me the most is the fact that his last host wasn't a willing one." Daniel replied. "Is that true?"

Rea'beka took a breath to protest. However, she stopped when she saw the dangerous look Daniel was giving her. His cobalt eyes were a frighten display of ice on fire. Tears slipped silently down Rea'beka's face as she nodded.

"I see." Daniel growled darkly. "Where is he now?" 

"Back with his family...he...he doesn't remember any of it."

"Yes, Gabriel made sure of that." Daniel paused. "He tells me that you never even offered yourself as host...he wants to know why, in fact so do I."

"I...I was afraid."

"We don't believe you."

Teal'c looked up sharply. He did not like the sudden change in Daniel's use of pronouns. The older Goa'uld's such as Hathor were the only ones who used terms like 'we' and 'us'. Daniel noticed the look he was getting, but he didn't care.

"Is it so hard to imagine that I would be hesitant to be host to him?" Rea'beka replied defiantly. "You yourself were terrified."

"I still am." Daniel hissed. "But I never believed him to be the 'savior of my people' as you so elegantly put it."

"Da..."

"What are you hiding?" Daniel demanded. "What secret are you caring that you couldn't let him see?"

"I...I didn't want him to know that this isn't my home world." Rea'beka admitted.

"We already know that."

"W...what?"

"You think that this place isn't in Gabriel's memory?" Daniel asked rhetorically. "He built it! This is the first Niacine city...abandoned centuries ago. The people who live here now are just transplants, Gabriel learned that from the memories of his previous host. There is something more...tell us."

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c interrupted harshly "do not allow yourself to be so easily blended with this Goa'uld."

"I'm sorry, Teal'c. At the moment Gabriel feels more betrayed than I do. I am not immune to his emotions." Daniel turned his attention back to Rea'beka. 

"I..I have no other secrets." She stuttered.

"Gabriel tells me that if it wasn't for the fact that you are a true blooded Niacine he would have taken you by force. However, if he is to be believed his love for your kind runs very deep...even for what he suspects is one of their Exiles."

Rea'beka took a step back, her eyes wide with fear. She looked around frantically for an escape. When she found none she broke down into tears again. Daniel's expression softened, but he did not make a move to comfort her. He waited while she struggled to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry...I...I never meant to hurt anyone! I swear!"

"Rea'beka," Daniel said gently "if Gabriel and I are going to figure out how to stop this Plague, we need to know everything about it, we need to know everything about you and what you've learned here. No more lies."

"The truth?" Rea'beka whimpered through her tears. "The truth is, the new outbreak of the Plague is...is my fault."

"Yours?" Daniel asked in surprise. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know...honestly." Rea'beka's voice broke with more tears. "I...I don't know."

"Then why do you feel responsible?" 

"It's a long story."

"We're listening."

Rea'beka was silent for a moment. She looked to Teal'c, but he would not look back at her. Feeling more alone than ever she gave in. Keeping her eyes on the floor she started to tell her story. 

"I've been searching for this City my whole life. There is so much about our past that the Niacine people don't know. We knew we had once been Ancient slaves, we know to mix our blood with Naquadah to use the technology we built so long ago.

However we didn't really know what had set us free, nor did we know why the Goa'uld despise our kind so vengefully. The Goa'uld may have made slaves of the Tau'ri, but they simply slaughter a pure Niacine if they find one. I was hoping that our past might have a clue as to why."

"Were you foolish enough to think that if you found the answer to their hate that you might be able to appease them?" Daniel hissed.

"No." Rea'beka replied simply. "I know as well as you do that Goa'uld can not be reasoned with."

"Then why search?"

"Why did you study Ancient Egypt?"

"Point taken." Daniel was forced to smile and to his surprise Rea'beka did as well. "How did you find this city?"

"I did find a tablet, I didn't lie about that, I did lie about where I found it. It was on my home world. It told some of Gabriel's story, but more importantly, it held a Gate Address. I was convinced that it was to the first city. I was so excited about my findings. Too excited. It never occurred to me that the others wouldn't be as objective about our past as I was."

"They ran you out of town for suggesting that a Goa'uld had set you free?"

"Actually I was just humiliated at the time. The Council took away my credentials, my job, and my research became the object of ridicule."

"I know how that feels." Daniel admitted.

"Our stories are not so different from one another. However, where as you went on to help destroy the Goa'uld, and save the Tau'ri...I seem to have brought about what very well may be the end of life in our shared Galaxy."

"You see that's the part we don't understand."

"Desperate to reclaim my status I dialed the Address that I had found and slipped through the Gate."

"Slipped?" Daniel repeated.

"The Council had forbidden travel to the Address, probably afraid of what I'd find. All Gate use is controlled by them...but I still had my access codes. I came here, and discovered that I was right all along. But I discovered something else...by mistake I assure you."

"What else did you find?" Daniel asked when she didn't continue.

"This city is the source of the infection causing the Plague."

"What?!" Daniel cried in surprise. "But there are people living here."

"I...I must have released something in my exploring." Rea'beka said in misery. "The natives started to fall ill shortly after I arrived. At first I thought it was something I brought myself. So I tried to get help."

"You should have never left this world." 

"I couldn't stand by and watch this culture die!" Rea'beka snarled defensively. "I had to do something. I couldn't return home, fearing I'd just be arrested, so I took the Gate to one of our few allies."

"And spread the infection."

"I felt fine, I honestly didn't believe myself contaminated! I quarantined myself on an abandoned world for a month to make sure before I went for help. I knew that hundreds would die from the delay, but I knew it was necessary. But I never got sick."

"My God..." Daniel breathed in horror "you're just like Typhoid Mary."

"Who?"

"Mary Mallon, a woman on Earth in early 1900, she carried a deadly disease, Typhoid, but felt no affects from it herself. She infected 47 people and murdered three of them."

"Murdered?!"

"She knew she was a carrier, but she refused to do anything about it. She would simply switch jobs when too many people around her became ill in an attempt to hide her tracks."

"What...what happened to her?"

"She was caught and died in quarantine." Daniel said coldly.

"I swear if I had known, I would have never left this place!"

"And yet you came to Earth, knowing that you'd bring it with you!" Daniel snarled.

"I had no choice! Besides, with as many worlds as you travel to...it would have found you eventually."

"How many worlds are infected?"

"I don't know." Rea'beka admitted. 

"How is it spread?"

"Again, I don't know...it seems almost random." Rea'beak said. "From the populated world that I went to it spread like a wildfire. World after world started to fall. As word got out that something was wrong people started tearing down or burying their Stargates to keep the infected out. However, I fear it is too late. Containment is no longer an option...we need a cure."

"Why come to me?"

"I told you before, we have been watching you. You've caused quite the stir in the Galaxy and we have many spies. The Council has known for a long time that there is a powerful Ancient blood among you."

"You mean Jack?"

"Yes, powerful enough to use their weapons...something we haven't seen for as long as we've been keeping records of such things. Which is another reason we have never conntacted the Tau'ri."

"Wait...how did you get to Earth without coming through our Gate?"

"I...um...I stole a Niacine ship that was visiting the world I was on, traveled to your world and I well...um..."

"Crashed into it." Daniel guessed.

"Yeah...I'm a scientist, not a pilot. I mean, flying is easy, landing is much harder. It was the men of Area 51 that found me."

"I can't believe Area 51 didn't tell us."

"You'd be surprised what they're not telling you." Rea'beka said seriously. 

"Let's save that discussion for later. What happened next?"

"I set a barging up with the Leader of 51, I didn't tell him all of the truth, but enough of it to scare him. I told him I needed the Tau'ri with Ancient knowledge and that's when I learned that there were two of you."

"Lucky us." Daniel grumbled. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...but I had to find Gabriel. I believed him to be the only one who could stop this Plague."

"What made you think that?"

"The tablet alluded to the fact that the Plague was actually a weapon that went wrong."

"A weapon?"

"Against the Ancients...I assumed that Gabriel must have started it..."

"No! Never!" Gabriel roared suddenly in his unearthly voice. "I had nothing to do with it! I was imprisoned before the outbreak! We were almost at peace with the Ancients, I would not start a slaughter!"

Teal'c had his staff weapon raised in seconds of Gabriel's outburst. Seeing the infuriated Jaffa Gabriel quickly relinquished his momentary hold on Daniel.

"Gabriel, let me go..." Daniel panted, not even realizing that he had control again "stop...you're hurting me...and you're going to force Teal'c into shooting us." 

_'I am sorry, Daniel'. _ Gabriel's voice echoed in Daniel's mind.

"It's okay...just don't do it again." Daniel replied out loud.

"I take it this means you're going to take Gabriel's word over mine on this?" Rea'beka hissed.

"For the moment." Daniel growled. "After all, I don't know if I can trust him...but I'm positive that I can't trust you."

"Da..." Rea'beka started.

"Teal'c," Daniel called "radio for Sam."

"For what purpose?" Teal'c asked suspiciously.

"I need her to watch me while you take Rea'beka somewhere to be restrained."

"What?!" Rea'beka cried in alarm.

"I don't want 'Mary' here running off to any other worlds."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sam looked around the makeshift lab that they had set up with the equipment that Stargate Command had sent through to them. Jack didn't seem to have much faith in the instruments, and she had to admit that she wasn't sure what good they'd do either. Teal'c had helped them set up, but was now sleeping after taking the late night watch.

"Okay, so where do we start?" Sam asked.

"That's a good question." Daniel replied with a tight smile. "Gabriel suggests that we start by trying to gain access to the Ancient knowledge and take it from there."

"Gabriel hasn't looked into it yet himself?" Sam asked surprised.

"No."

"Why not?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"I asked him wait until I was ready."

"Are you?"

"We'll soon know."

Daniel closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he nodded Sam assumed that Gabriel must have asked him if he was ready. The change was instantaneous. His whole frame tenses causing the fine muscles of his neck to pull tight against his skin. Daniel grit his teeth, growling in what sounded like frustration as he started to pant for breath.

"Gabriel!" Daniel finally cried. "Stop!"

"Daniel!" 

"It's okay...I'm alright." Daniel assured as he opened his eyes again. He shook his head to clear it and took a deep breath. "Don't worry about it, Gabriel, neither one of us knew what would happen. We should have exspec..."

"What did he do to you?" Jack demanded.

Daniel jerked at the sound of Jack's harsh voice. He was having trouble paying attention to voices both inside and outside his head. When Jack didn't get an immediate reply he unlatched the strap that kept his sidearm secure.

"Jack, relax." Daniel said quickly. "He didn't mean any harm."

"That's not what it looked like from here." Jack growled darkly. 

"He just did what I asked him to." Daniel replied defensively. "He gave me access to my subconscious where the Ancient knowledge is stored."

"And?"

"And there's a reason why it's 'sub' conscious."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that I don't think I'm going to be able to handle it, mentally or physically. There's so mu..."

"Daniel?" Sam asked in alarm when he suddenly stopped.

"Hang on...Gabriel's making a suggestion."

Sam and Jack exchanged a nervous glance while Daniel listened to Gabriel. After a moment he shrugged.

"Okay, try it." Daniel said out loud.

Jack took an alarmed step forward as Daniel winced in pain again. Daniel waved him away as though Jack was a toddler who had interrupted a phone call.

"Ah...no, I'm sorry, Gabriel, but that doesn't really help." Daniel admitted. 

Daniel furrowed his brow in obvious thought. Sam didn't like to see Daniel turning his attention in on himself like this, she kept fearing that he would get lost again. Jack seemed equally uncomfortable, shifting his weight constantly while they waited. 

For the first time Sam noticed the fine beading of sweat that was beginning to collect at Jack's temple. She was about to ask him if he was alright when Daniel started his one sided conversation again.

"That might actually work." Daniel mused. "I'll have to convince my friend's though. No...it won't be easy. Yeah, you've noticed that to, eh? He means well, at least I assume he does." Daniel smiled brightly. "I never thought of it that way..."

"Hey, Danny," Jack interrupted irritably "care to fill us in on what the voices in your head are telling you?"

"Gabriel wants permission to take control for whi..."

"Oh no." Jack said firmly. "A thousand times 'no'." 

"Jack, I can't do this myself...I'm only human."

"That has yet to be proven." Jack grumbled.

"Seriously, I can't process the knowledge of the Ancients, Gabriel can open my mind to it, but it's like drowning in a sea of information. None of it makes sense to me."

"But it makes sense to him?"

"He has a much better chance of understanding it, Gabriel is thousands of years old and he spent most of them studying Ancient technology."

"Why does he have to be in control to do that? Why can't he just search it and tell you?"

"We tried that, it didn't work. I fight against him too hard, even though I try not to. If I let him suppress me and give him the reins he can search the information while shielding me from it."

"This doesn't sound like you, Daniel." Jack said seriously.

"It doesn't?" Daniel asked surprised. 

"No."

"I don't know how to sound anymore like myself."

"You could put up a little more of a fight over giving yourself over to this Gou'ald."

"It's a little late for that, Jack. I can't stop him from taking me now...so I might as well just give him permission."

"Daniel, have you lost your mind?!"

"Yes, on more occasion than I care to count." Daniel replied calmly. "However, this isn't one of those times. Let's face facts here: the damage has been done. We've already trusted Gabriel this far...we might as well let him do this.""

Jack stared at Daniel for a while, as he tried to think of another good argument against this. When he couldn't come up with one he looked to Sam. She just shrugged her shoulders, she had been silently agreeing with Daniel the whole time. Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"It's your life, Daniel." Jack sighed. "If you honestly think this is what's best."

"I do."

"Fine. But tell Gabriel that if we ask to talk to you he lets you go instantly."

"He agrees." 

"And tell him I fully intend to keep my promise to you if he doesn't."

"He knows all about that." Daniel informed. "I'm going to go now, the sooner I do the sooner we can hopefully solve this."

"I don't want Gabriel in control for more than hour at a time." Jack added as Daniel closed his eyes.

"Any other rules you wish me to abide by?" Gabriel asked politely as he took control.

"Yeah...no talking in that creepy Gou'ald voice."

"Very well." Gabriel replied in Daniel's voice. 

"And I don't want to see any glowing eyes."

"Of course." Gabriel smiled. "Jack, I know thi..."

"And don't call me 'Jack'."

Gabriel sighed in defeat. "Anything else, General O'Neill?"

"I'll let you know as I think of them."

Gabriel chuckled. Jack shot him a sour look that could curdle milk.

"Sorry." Gabriel apologized quickly. "Daniel was just asking me to tell you to give me a break."

"Tell Daniel that that's never going to happen." Jack snarled.

"He can hear you."

"Good...make sure it stays that way."

"Yes, Sir."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

"This doesn't make any sense." Sam growled in frustration.

"I take it you're not having any better luck?" Gabriel asked as he pulled his attention away from the piece of scratch paper he was working on.

"No." Sam sighed.

Sam pushed her laptop computer away in disgust. Gabriel got up from the other side of the marble table that they were working at. He dragged his chair with him and sat a few feet from Sam. He reached over and pulled the laptop closer. 

With a practiced ease he started typing in some program commands. The computer obeyed and ran a few tests that Sam had actually already done. He minimized the complicated application and pulled up a different one, although he was no happier with the results. Sam was amazed by how competent he was at it considering as far as he would be concerned it was a piece of alien technology. 

"Have you ever even seen a laptop before?" Sam asked.

"No, but Daniel has."

"Of course."

"You're right...this doesn't make any sense." Gabriel agreed as he pushed the computer away. "You're sure the samples you're analyzing came from native Plague victims?"

"Well I can't be one hundred percent sure. But I'm 99 confident."

"Then where is the virus?" Gabriel mused outloud.

"That's what I'd like to know. This equipment should be able to detect any foreign DNA from a virus. But so far the blood, tissue, and cerebrospinal fluid samples...they are all negative."

"Then it must not be a virus." Gabriel concluded. 

"It will take a few more days to see if any bacteria grows in the cultures we've got in the incubator."

"It is a given that bacteria will grow. The trouble is going to be finding a way to test if it is naturally occurring or our culprit."

"Yeah, I'm not sure how much help I can be there." Sam sighed. "I'm an astrophysicist, not a pathologist."

"You're doing a fine job." Gabriel assured. "Daniel has so much faith in you, and I can see why."

Sam flashed a shy smile. 

"He seems to have some memory of you blowing up a sun...is that true?"

"Have...um...have you found anything in the Ancient knowledge about what form the Plague took?" Sam asked to change the subject.

"So far, no. Although that doesn't mean it isn't there."

"What do you mean?"

"Despite what my children may have been telling you, I'm not a God. I am more equip to sort through the knowledge than a human, but it's still like trying to find a molecule of sugar in a salty ocean using only your tongue."

"That sounds harder than finding a needle in a haystack."

"Much harder." 

Gabriel dragged Daniel's hands through his hair. He growled in frustration and suddenly Daniel's blue eyes flashed a brilliant white. Sam's breath hissed sharply across her teeth. Gabriel looked at her in alarm.

"Oh...I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Gabriel said quickly "it was just a reflex."

"It's okay, you just startled me."

"Thank you." Gabriel said gratefully. 

"For what?"

"For not shooting us." Gabriel replied with a tight smile. 

"Oh...well, just don't do that around the guys." Sam chuckled.

"I will be sure to be more careful in the future."

"How do you do that, anyway?" Sam asked as her curiosity got the best of her. "I've always wondered how it's even physically possible."

Gabriel didn't answer right away. Sam suddenly found him studying her like it was the first time he'd noticed her. He seemed to realize that he was making her uncomfortable and quickly stopped. 

"It's a Naquadah reaction to a combination of blood proteins, oxygen, and friction, a very simple one to perform." Gabriel explained. "Actually, you could do it."

"What?"

"You've got Naquadah in your blood." Gabriel's eyes suddenly glittered in excitement. "I could teach you."

"I don't know..."

"Come on, it will be fun."

"Gabri..."

"It could even prove useful, a similar trick allows us to talk in that voice your General hates so much. If you learned to do it you could fool someone into thinking you were Gou'ald."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You never know...it could be life saving in your line of work."

Sam thought about it for a moment and nodded. Gabriel smiled brightly. Sam was surprised by how unlike Daniel he suddenly looked. It was still Daniel's face, but the expression was clearly someone different. It was unnerving, but Gabriel didn't give her long to think about it. He pushed his chair back and motioned her to do the same so that they could more easily face one another.

"Okay, you want to focus on a point right in front of your eyes." 

After giving Gabriel a skeptical look she tried. He chuckled as Sam attempted to follow his instructions. 

"Without crossing them." He added.

"That's not easy."

"It takes some practice." Gabriel admitted. "Once you get it, quickly shift your focus out as though looking all the way to the horizon. It will force the ciliary body attached to your lens to relax and alow it to snap back to its orginal shape, which causes just enough friction. Here, watch."

Gabriel's eyes seemed to glaze over for a second and then with just a flicker of movement they flashed white. Sam hesitated to try it herself. However she was so curious to see if she could. Gabriel watched her practice with a lop sided grin of amusement. After a few failed attempts Sam tried once more and suddenly her vision went to pure white.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed.

"I scared myself the first time I did it too." Gabriel laughed. "I did it entirely by accident one day, I fell backwards with surprise. I thought someone had shot me."

"It's not as difficult as I thought it would be." Sam admitted.

"Neither is the voice, you just have to pull your false vocal cords over your true ones."

"I'm not even sure where to begin with that. Did I mention yet that I'm better at math than biology?"

"The false vocal cords are a muscle that a normal human have, but they don't have a voluntary nerve to control it. The Naquadah gives you access to the muscle, you just have tighten it."

Sam gave Gabriel yet another skeptical look. Without thinking he reached out to touch her throat. Sam instinctively jerked away and put her hands up defensively. 

"I'm sorry, I should have asked first. I just want to show you where the muscle is. You can get your gun out if you want to."

"No, it's okay." Sam replied as she put her hands back down. "I was just startled."

Gabriel smiled and slowly reached out again. He softly pressed Daniel's fingertips against Sam's throat on either side of her voice box. 

"Well...say something." Gabriel encouraged.

"I never know what to sa..." Sam stopped as her voice suddenly cracked like a teenage boy's. 

"Try it again." Gabriel said gently.

"I don't think I should..." Sam replied in a perfect resonating Gou'ald voice. "Wow...that's really frightening."

"Your voice is beautiful either way." Gabriel assured her as he brought his hands away. "You just have to promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Sam asked in her own voice.

"That you won't tell General O'Neill I taught you that...he dislikes me enough as it is."

"He's just very protective of Daniel."

"You all are, and I don't blame any of you for not trusting me." Gabriel said with a sad smile.

"Daniel seems to."

"No, he just weighed the risks of letting me do this over the risks of standing back and doing nothing. He decided his life was a small price to pay for even the slightest chance that I was telling the truth."

"That sounds like Daniel." Sam sighed. Glancing down at her watch Sam gasped. "Gabriel, it's been nearly five hours."

"I'm sorry, I didn't even notice the time."

"Neither did I." Sam admitted.

"I'm not doing a very good job of keeping my promises."

"I won't tell, just please give Daniel the rest of the night off."

Gabriel nodded and closed his eyes. Daniel jerked violently and snapped his eyes open like he'd been woken in the middle of the night. He looked around to get his bearings, once he figured it out he tilted his head to the side to work a kink out of his neck. He saw the concerned look he was getting from Sam and forced a smile.

"Hey, Sam." 

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Daniel replied unconvincingly. "It's okay, no need to apologize."

"What?"

"I was talking to Gabriel." Daniel clarified. 

"I'm sorry that I didn't think to ask him to release you sooner, we lost track of time."

"Don't worry about it, what I said to Gabriel applies to you too." Daniel said honestly. "Besides, I don't even know the difference. Time has been a very abstract concept for me for the past month."

"I bet."

Daniel failed to stifle a yawn. He turned his attention to the desk and picked up the paper that Gabriel had been scribbling on. He could read the Ancient text, but it didn't say anything that seemed particularly useful.

"So, have you two made any progress?" Daniel asked.

"You should know, I mean you still here even though Gabriel's in control...right?"

Daniel hesitated to answer. 

"Daniel?" Sam asked in concern. "You're still an observer, aren't you?"

"No." Daniel admitted.

"What?"

"To keep the knowledge of the Ancients from driving me insane he has to basically put me to sleep, or more accurately a coma." Daniel explained. "That's why I don't recognize time passing anymore than you do at night."

"Are you okay with that?" Sam asked horrified. 

"No...not really."

Daniel shrugged and stretched his neck again. He looked around the room as though making sure that it was still there. Sam felt guilt gnawing at he stomach for letting herself become distracted and keeping Daniel locked up for so long.

"Are you sure you're okay, Daniel?" 

"I'm just tired."

"Haven't you been sleeping for the past four hours?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"That was mental, this is a physical need."

"Well Gabriel and I have decided to stop for the night."

"He told me."

There was a futon like piece of furniture against one of the walls. Daniel went over to it and pushed the reference books off onto the floor. He laid down, but he didn't look particularly comfortable. Sam got up and moved him so that she could sit down, offering her lap as a pillow. Daniel hesitated, but he accepted the offer.

"Thank you." Daniel said gratefully.

"It's the least I can do...I wish I could do more, I wish all of us could help you more."

"Following me here in the first place is more than enough."

"Hey, no one gets left behind, right?" Sam asked rhetorically. "Well it holds true in reverse as well...no one goes alone either."

A smile spread across Daniel's face that made Sam one hundred percent confident that it was him and not Gabriel playing a trick on her. Unable to keep his eyes open any longer Daniel closed them. It wasn't long before Sam could feel his breathing slow in peaceful sleep.

After what seemed to only be a few minutes Teal'c stepped into the room to take his turn at guarding. He looked over the scene and glared at Sam disapprovingly. It pained her to see him treating Daniel this way, but she could understand.

"I'll watch him for a few more hours, Teal'c." Sam whispered. "He just fell asleep, I'd hate to wake him."

Teal'c narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He seemed to be thinking of a good reason to argue. Eventually he gave Sam a shallow bow. However he did not leave. Staff weapon in hand he put his back to her and stood in the doorway as he had intended to do. Sam had been joking with Gabriel when she had told him to be more careful around the guys, but now she wasn't so sure. 

Looking at Teal'c's silhouette in the archway Sam suddenly saw him in a way she'd never seen him before: an accident waiting to happen. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Jack?"

"I thought I asked you not to call me that." Jack grumbled from his place on the futon in the makeshift lab.

"No, it's me, Daniel."

"Yeah, right." Jack said coldly. "How am I supposed to know that?"

"Sam can tell the difference." Daniel replied in a hurt tone.

"She's a woman...they're naturally talented at stuff like that."

"Telling Goa'ulds from humans?" 

"No, noticing subtleties." Jack replied. "Besides, I'm not convinced she can."

"You think that I've been Gabriel pretending to Daniel the whole time and she's just humouring me?"

"It's a distinct possibility."

"Well then, how about you do the same?" Daniel asked seriously. "It's hard enough having Teal'c looking at me like he wants to beat me to death with his bare hands."

"Teal'c always looks like that."

Daniel was forced to chuckle. It was certainly true that even at his most lighthearted Teal'c still had a menacing appearance about him. However, this was different, this was more serious. Daniel was starting to fear that even if he somehow lived through this and Gabriel did release him, that he'd still never get Teal'c friendship back. He was just about to ask Jack to talk to Teal'c for him when Sam stepped into the room. 

"Hey, Daniel." Sam greeted warmly. "Gabriel taking a break?"

"See?" Daniel said to Jack.

"Lucky guess." Jack retorted.

Sam furrowed her brow and looked at each of them in turn. However, it was clear that neither one of them was going to explain.

"What?" Daniel suddenly asked.

"What, what?" Jack replied confused.

"Oh, okay, I'll ask." Daniel continued. "No, it's okay, I fully understand."

"Daniel!" Jack snarled. "If you're going to talk to that snake do it quietly."

"Gabriel wants permission to keep control for a little longer at a time." Daniel informed, ignoring Jack's outburst.

"Daniel," Jack said slowly "don't you think you're giving this guy a little too much lee way? Give a Goa'uld a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

"It's a simple enough request." Daniel sighed. "At least he's asking, he has the power to just take."

Jack stared silent at Daniel, trying his hardest to see whatever it was that Carter saw that seemed let her know who she was talking to. In the end he realized that he'd never be able to tell. He could just as easily imagine this as an elaborate trap as it being something Daniel would do.

"It's Carter's watch...it's her decision." Jack finally answered as he got up to leave.

"You're not staying?" Daniel asked surprised.

"No...I didn't get much sleep last night." Jack admitted. "The humidity in this place is going to kill me."

"Humidity?" Sam asked as she exchanged an anxious glance with Daniel. "Sir, we've been on planets far worse than this one."

"Jack, are you having trouble breathing at night?"

"No." Jack said firmly. "I'm fine."

Sam stepped up to put the back of her hand against Jack's forehead to see if he was starting to run a fever. He pulled back and snatched her wrist to stop her. He instantly released her, but she didn't try her luck at touching him again.

"I said I'm fine." Jack growled. "You two, err, three, get back to work. Don't worry about me."

"Sir..."

"That's an order, Colonel."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Sam tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but it was impossible. The possibility that General O'Neill was falling ill was a terrifying one. It put a new time constraint on discovering what was happening that she wasn't sure she could deal with. 

She still didn't even have a theory as to how it was spread. Since they had all clearly been exposed to Rea'beka they weren't even bothering with the usual HazMat precautions in the Temple. They didn't travel out into the city, they had a few natives that Rea'beka had befriended that were bringing them samples and news. 

However it didn't seem to be helping. The disease was like a ghost, you could feel its presence in the room, but there was nothing tangible to prove that it was there. It came and went as it pleased. Within the native populations entire households would die, yet in others only a few would contract the disease, and in some cases whole sections of the city were unaffected.

The course of the disease was extremely variable as well. Some died within hours of feeling sick, while others had been suffering since the disease first started to spread. There were only two things Sam knew for sure. The first was that it spreading away from the Temple at a very steady rate. The second was that no matter how long it took the disease was invariably fatal. Not a single victim had fallen ill and recovered. If you didn't have natural immunity, you could not develop it.

The program Sam was running suddenly glitched on the vast amount of data that she had been plugging into it. With a sneer of disgust she slammed the screen closed. Gabriel gasped violently in startled surprise at the noise. He had been in some sort of meditative state as he tried to comb through the Ancient knowledge. 

"I'm sorry." Sam apologized meekly.

"I wasn't really getting anywhere." Gabriel confessed. "There's something missing here."

"Missing?"

"The Ancients admit to knowing the event that started the Plague, they tried to build that time machine on P4X-639 to try and stop it."

"The one that just kept looping every ten hours."

"Right. But nowhere can I find what that event was that they were trying to stop, or how they knew. It's like it's been edited out."

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know." Gabriel sighed heavily. "Maybe they didn't, maybe I just can't find it."

Just as Daniel had done before Gabriel streched his neck to one side and then the other. Sam realized that her shoulders weren't feeling so good either and pulled them back in an atempt to ease the tension in them. Gabriel looked around the confines of the room like a tiger in a cage.

"Let's try something else." Gabriel suddenly suggested.

"Anything has to work better than this." Sam grumbled bitterly. "What do you have in mind?"

"A walk."

"A walk?" Sam repeated confused.

"Sometimes a change in thinking take a change in scenery."

Sam hesitated to take Gabriel up on his offer. However, she had to admit that it sounded better than trying to beat her head against the keyboard for another three hours. Sensing that Sam had decided on the walk Gabriel got up and offered his hand to her to help her do the same.

Standing up on her own Sam made her way to the door. Once out in the hall Gabriel stepped out next to her and when she went to turn left he reached out and quickly tugged on her shirt to inform her that he'd rather go right. 

Not really caring which direction they went in Sam followed Gabriel's suggestion. He seemed to have a destination in mind and made his way purposefully towards the middle of the Temple. 

The long corridor suddenly came to a set of large double doors that arched gracefully. Gabriel opened them and exposed an expansive overgrown square courtyard that lay in the center of the Temple. The hallway continued around the outside edge with an ornate marble railing holding back the vegetation as best it could.

"This was always one of my favourite places." Gabriel said vacantly as he started to walk along the perimeter. "It's sad to see it in such disrepair."

"You used to live here, didn't you? This isn't a Temple...it's a house."

Gabriel nodded. With his hands held loosely behind his back he walked along the outdoor hall at a leisurely pace. Sam walked silently along side him. Looking at the wall that enclosed the wild garden she noticed that at one point the weather worn marble had had Gate Symbols etched into it. Thousands of years of rain however had all but erased them.

"Can I ask you something totally unrelated to all this?" Sam broke the silence.

"Anything." Gabriel replied.

"Okay...when we went to the Ancient white marble city there was this little Gate."

"A Galaxygate." Gabriel provided.

"That's a good name for it." Sam smiled. "Anyway, General O'Neill was the only one who could use it, we assume because it takes the Ancient gene. My question is: why aren't all the Stargates similarly protected? I can't figure it out and it's been driving me crazy."

Gabriel stopped and turned to look at Sam, she stopped as well. He tried to suppress an amused smile, but his eyes were brimming with mirth.

"The answer's something really obvious, isn't it?" Sam asked with a flush of embarrassment.

"No." Gabriel assured. "I just find it ironic that you of all people are asking me a question about Gate mechanics."

"What's so amusing about that?"

"You taught me everything I know about them."

"Excuse me?"

"I know Daniel told you about the original Gabriel and his connection to him."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I believe it." Sam admitted.

"Never the less, it's true. You were there as well, you were a Niacine, your name was Leena...and you were of Gate Line."

"What does that mean?"

"Niacines were bred to hold certain kinds of information, the best and the brightest were selected to be Technology and Gate Lines. Those two Lines were always raised in pairs since you needed one to truly understand and use the other."

"Why not just merge the two?"

"They tried, hundreds of Niacines died as a result."

"What?!" Sam exclaimed in horror.

"The Gate is such an advanced and complicated piece of equipment that it was very hard on a mind to have its workings downloaded, and trying to add all the other technology to that process always proved fatal."

"That's horrible."

"Yes, the Ancients started to feel the same way." Gabriel agreed. 

"Which is why they turned to your kind." Sam reasoned.

"The Goa'uld were at one point in danger of falling to the same fate, which is why I worked so hard to free the Niacines. However I could have never accomplished it without your help."

"You mean Leena's help." Sam pointed out.

"Trust me, you are one in the same. Gabriel, the real Gabriel, and I helped you unlock your Gate knowledge and it was you who reprogrammed the Stargates to allow anyone to use them, so that Niacines could escape their cruel fates."

"The Ancients couldn't reset the Stargates themselves?"

"No," Gabriel chuckled "you were, are, special, and far too clever for them. You changed the Gate program so thoroughly that the Ancients themselves were no longer exactly sure how they worked anymore."

"That's...frightening."

"It was spectacular." Gabriel beamed. "Unfortunately there is only the one Galaxygate in the Milkyway and it is not on the same system as the Stargates. The Ancients held control of it so we were never able to reprogram it. However when it came to the Stargates there wasn't anything you couldn't get them to do."

"That's unbelievable." Sam whispered in shock.

"Is it?" Gabriel asked seriously.

"Gab..."

"Even in this life you've learned more about the Stargate than anyone." Gabriel purred. "They're in your blood."

Sam was unnerved by the sudden intensity in Gabriel's gaze. She backed away, however she found herself up against the cold marble wall. Gabriel put one hand up on the wall and gently brushed her cheek with the other. Sam didn't know why she couldn't just push him away, she felt like a bird trapped by a snake's hypnotic glare.

"You have the same fire, the same sharp mind, the same loyalty..."

"Gabriel, stop." Sam demanded weakly. "I...I want to talk to Daniel..."

"I've missed you so much." Gabriel said softly as he leaned in closer.

"You don't even know me." Sam replied as she pressed herself harder against the wall. 

"We spent thousands of years together...you can't tell you don't remember any of it."

"Gabriel, I'm not that person anymo..."

Sam was cut off as Gabriel pinned her against the wall with his weight. The passionate kiss he forced on her chilled her skin. She struggled briefly against him, but she realized that she was no match for the Goa'uld's strength.

Unable to free herself Sam returned the unexpected affection. However she was only using the move as a distraction so that Gabriel wouldn't notice her retrieving her side arm. With practiced ease she had the weapon out and pressed the cold muzzle against Gabriel's stomach. 

Gabriel froze as Sam noisily cocked the weapon. Keeping his hands on the wall on either side of her he broke off the kiss and push himself away slowly. He searched her eyes for something that he quickly realized he was never going to find.

"I'm sorry...I...I had to try." Gabriel sighed sadly. "Forgive me."

"Let Daniel go." Sam ordered firmly. "Right now." 

Gabriel nodded. A tear slipped down his face as he closed his eyes. Once again Daniel jerked awake. Sam got the feeling that if his hands hadn't been on the wall that he would have lost his balance. When he found himself so close to Sam fear crept into his confused expression.

"Sam?" Daniel asked in horror. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's okay." Sam said shakily. "Just...just a little misunderstanding." 

Daniel looked down at the sidearm that she still had pressed against his stomach. Sam quickly flicked the safety back on and lowered the weapon. Daniel gave her a skeptical look tainted with concern.

"Okay," Sam admitted "...a 'big' misunderstanding." 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Despite the large size of the white marble house Sam made her way through the hallways with ease. She was looking for O'Neill and found him exactly where she thought he'd be, just not in the condition that she'd hoped for. Sam stepped into the large bedroom. With his back to her he did not notice the small noise she had made to announce her presence. 

Jack had pulled his jacket and undershirt off in an attempt to escape the heat of his fever. Even still sweat rolled down the scared skin of his back. With his hands up on the wall on either side of the glassless window he stood in the cool outdoor breeze with his head bowed. His dog tags chinked musically with every deep laboured breath. 

His condtion was slipping faster than Sam had feared. She knew that now was not a good time to bring up the fact that Gabriel might not be entirely trustworthy. However she had come for another reason as well.

"Sir?" Sam asked softly.

Jack jerked slightly at the sound of her voice. He turned around and looked her over for a moment.

"Carter?" Jack asked as if he wasn't certain. "What are you doing here?"

"It's nearly five."

"Ah...right, I'll be there in a moment to take over on watch."

"Um, no, actually the SGC is scheduled to contact us at five."

"Oh...right."

"Are you okay, Sir?" Sam asked in concern. "You seem confused."

"I'm always confused," Jack said with a smile "some days I'm just better at hiding it that others."

"Maybe you should stay here."

"No."

Jack looked around until he spotted his black shirt laying in a heap on the floor. He bent down and retrieved it. After pulling the cotton shirt on he took a few steps forward and then stopped suddenly.

"You'd better go on ahead, I don't want you getting too close to me."

"Sir, I've already been exposed, it's a little late to be taking precautions."

"Humour me."

Sam went to say something more, but thought better of it. With a slight nod she turned and started to make her own way to the Stargate. She was hoping that Dr. Brightman, as a medical doctor, was having some more success. At the very least she was hoping that the disease hadn't spread into the SCG itself, but it seemed like unlikely that they'd escaped uninfected. 

Teal'c and Daniel were already at the Gate waiting. Sam's heart suddenly felt like it was ten pounds heavier looking at them. Daniel looked miserable. He stood a few feet in front of Teal'c with his hands held behind his back like a prisoner. He looked up at Jack and smiled, however, it quickly faded when Jack didn't return the gesture.

"Jack, you look awful," Daniel said bluntly "Gabriel says..."

"Daniel, I don't care." Jack interrupted harshly. "I'm in no mood to play Goa'uld telephone right now."

Looking hurt Daniel went silent. Jack walked up the DHD and rested against it as they waited for the incoming wormhole. They had decided that they would let the SGC dial in case the Plague could somehow travel through the Gate.

"Sir, are you sure you're al..."

"Colonel Carter!" Jack barked in sudden anger. "If you ask me that one more time I swear to God I will demote you back to Captain."

"Jack..."

"Daniel, not a word out of you either." Jack warned.

"Jack," Daniel continued anyway "Gabriel says he thinks he can use one of the healing devices to bring your health back. Even it can't actually cure you it would buy us more time."

"Tell him he can keep his snake magic to himself."

Anger finally got the better of Daniel. He took an aggressive step towards Jack, but instantly froze as Teal'c snapped his staff weapon up and pressed it menacingly against his lower back. The wounded expression on Daniel's face was almost more than Sam could bear. She looked to Jack, but he wasn't looking at Daniel, he was just staring at the floor.

"Daniel, I'm sor..." Sam started.

"No, I asked to be treated this way when I first agreed to play host. It's just hard to get used to."

The silence that fell over the team was interrupted as the Gate sprang to life. As the Gate dialed Jack winced in pain. Once the wormhole was open he pulled his radio off his belt.

"O'Neill." He said wearily.

"General, Dr. Brightman here."

"What is Colonel Fisher and SG-7's status?" Jack asked instantly.

"I...I'm sorry, Sir, with the exception of Major Tyler...SG-7 is dead." Dr. Brightman's voice crackled over the radio. Jack closed his eyes painfully. "The good news is that Major Tyler seems to be completely unaffected, which puzzles me."

"Where is he now?"

"He's still quarantined on the planet."

"How many have died on the Base?" Jack sighed.

"None."

"What?" Jack, Sam and Daniel chimed in unison.

"The disease does not seem to have found a foothold here." Dr. Brightman said. "I have also been in contact with Area 51, they're clean too, Sir."

"That doesn't make any sense." Daniel protested. "Area 51 had more contact with Rea'beka than anyone."

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth." Jack grumbled. "I still want a full lock down mainta..."

Jack stopped suddenly. The radio slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a crack. Not caring if Teal'c decided to shoot him Daniel rushed forward to make sure that Jack didn't fall to the floor as well. Teal'c stayed motionless.

"Dr. Brightman," Sam said urgently into her radio "General O'Neill's is getting worse fast."

"Bring him through the Gat..."

"No!" Jack roared as he pulled away from Daniel. "I will not bring this back to the SGC."

"Sir..."

"Sam...Jack's right." Daniel said sadly. "We are incredibly lucky that no one at the base has fallen ill. It's too risky."

"Finally we agree on som..."

Jack stopped midsentance once again, his eyes rolling back to white. Daniel reached out and caught Jack around the waist as he collapsed. Daniel was shocked at the amount of heat that Jack was radiating. He laid him down on the cold marble hoping that it would help. Jack suddenly reached up and took a hold of Daniel's upper arm. With a painfully strong grip he dug his nails into Daniel's arm and arched his back.

_'He's having a seizure from the fever.' _Gabriel informed Daniel.

"Gabriel, help him, please." Daniel begged.

"I will do what I can." Gabriel answered as he took control. "I need one of the..."

Sam held out a Niacine healing device, she had been keeping it in her pocket. He took the device with a tight smile and held it over Jack's heart. Gabriel closed his eyes and poured as much concentration into the device as he dared to. When Jack relaxed his death grip Gabriel stopped his treatment. Exhausted Gabriel retreated back, letting Daniel take over.

Sam was so focused on Jack's sudden brush with death that she didn't even notice how heavily Teal'c was leaning on his staff weapon for support. Jack opened his eyes and when he saw Sam's concerned he managed a weak smile.

"Sir, are you al..."

"I'm fine...Captain Carter."

"Jack," Daniel said seriously "are you trying to be funny, or are you delusional?"

"A little of both."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

"Sam?"

_'She's sleeping.' _

Having just been given control again Daniel looked around the lab in a daze. Sam was curled up on the futon sleeping so soundly that she was barely even breathing. After Jack had taken a turn for the worst she and Gabriel had worked long into the night, but were still no closer to an answer. Daniel walked over to her, thinking about waking her. 

_'You're still afraid to be alone with me?' _Gabriel asked even though he knew the answer.

"Yes." Daniel admitted.

_'If I was going to hurt you and your friends, wouldn't I have done so by now?'_ Gabriel asked in a hurt tone.

"I have no way of knowing what your true motives are."

_'I saved Jack's life today...what more do you want from me?'_

"Maybe I would be a little more willing to trust you if I had hadn't woken up with Sam pined to a wall." Daniel hissed.

_'I'm sorry about that.'_

"What happened?"

Daniel could actually feel Gabriel thinking about whether or not to answer. Eventually Gabriel gave in, rather than trying to explain he simply shared the events of the whole day with his host. The memory was so vivid Daniel could remember her struggling against him as though he had attacked her himself. 

_'I know I shouldn't ha...'_

"Gabriel, this over." Daniel said firmly. "I want you out."

_'What would you have done?'_ Gabriel snarled defensively. _'What if you found Sha're, alive and well, as beautiful as the day you met her...and she had no idea who you were?'_

"I certainly wouldn't try to win her back by forcing myself on her." Daniel growled.

_'You're right.'_ Gabriel sighed. _'I made a mistake...like I've said before, I'm not a God. I have my faults. Please, Daniel, forgive me.'_

"No."

_'If I leave now you'll be condemning an entire Galaxy to death. I swear, I will figure this Plague out, I just need more time. Give me another chance.'_

"Why should I?" Daniel hissed.

_'Well, for one thing, Sam herself has decided to give me one. And besides if I truly wanted to force myself on her, I do it right now, while she was vulnerable. Or even worse...I could force you on each other.'_

"Gab..."

Daniel stopped as Gabriel dropped him to his knees. This was different than before, even when Gabriel allowed him to observe he'd still been detached from everything, like a hazy dream. Now he was wide awake, but completely helpless. Daniel fought bitterly, but he couldn't keep himself from reaching out and brushing Sam's cheek as she slept.

"Stop, please stop." Daniel begged. 

Gabriel released him and he scrambled away from Sam.

_'I just wanted to make my point.' _Gabriel's voice echoed softly.

"Your point being that I have no choice?"

_'No, that you asked me to stop and I did.'_

Being forced into begging for mercy wasn't Daniel's idea of a point worthy of starting a trusting relationship on. He thought about his options, hating the fact that Gabriel could spy on them. In the end he could only think of one solution.

"Fine, you can stay, but you can't be alone with her anymore."

_'Fair enough.'_

"And if you touch her again, I swear I'll rip you out of my neck myself."

_'I believe you.' _Gabriel replied seriously. _'If you don't mind, I am as tired as Sam..."_

Daniel could feel Gabriel retreating to his own bizarre version of sleep. He couldn't be sure if Gabriel was truly leaving him alone, but he was grateful for the chance of having at least the illusion of peace. Without even thinking about what he was doing Daniel left Sam sleeping in the lab and went in search of Jack. 

Daniel hadn't really spent as much time in the Temple as the others and quickly got lost. Not willing to wake Gabriel up to ask for directions he just wandered. Eventually he made it to the room that held the Stargate. It wasn't what he was looking for, but at least he could he could get his bearings again. It wasn't until Teal'c stepped out of the shadows that Daniel realized the mistake he had made.

"Teal'c," Daniel greeted with a nervous smile "you're, ah, you're probably wondering what I'm doing walking around alone. And you're right, I shouldn't be. Sam fell asleep and went looking for you or Jack."

Teal'c stared at him with an unsettling silence. 

"It...um...probably doesn't help my case that we've met near the Stargate, does it? I got lost, and..."

Daniel stopped trying to explain himself and for the first time took a good look at his friend. Teal'c stood with his weight leaning on his staff weapon, sweat dripping from his powerful jaw. Fearlessly Daniel walked up to him.

"Teal'c?" Daniel asked in concern. "Not you too. It never occured to me that you wouldn't be immune. Gabriel can you hel..."

Teal'c lashed out and struck Daniel hard enough to knock him back to the floor. Daniel rolled to the side just in time to avoid Teal'c's poorly aimed staff weapon blast. He tried to get to his feet to run, however, Teal'c grabbed him by the back of the neck like a cat picking up one of her kittens. 

Before Daniel could even try to twist away Teal'c tossed him up onto the dais that held the Stargate. Daniel was quicker to get to his feet this time, but he knew that it didn't really improve his odds against the powerful Jaffa. He turned to face Teal'c hoping to talk his way out of this. Teal'c grabbed the front of Daniel's shirt and shoved him forcefully back. 

Daniel slammed back first into the Stargate. Striking his head on the heavy metal Gate he slid to the floor. He was just getting his senses back when Teal'c stepped up calmly and placed the staff weapon on Daniel chest.

"Teal'c, wait! It's me, it's Daniel!"

Teal'c knit his heavily sweating brow in thought. He was clearly out of his mind with the ravages of the fever. Daniel tried his hardest to silently implore mercy from his friend. The gesture seemed to infuriated Teal'c further. He pressed the staff weapon harder against Daniel's chest and readied it to fire. Daniel weld his eyes shut and turned his face away.

"Jaffa, kree!" A deep Goa'uld voice rang out. 

Teal'c froze solid at the sound. Daniel risked opening one eye and then snapped them both open in shock.

"Sam?"

Using the trick Gabriel had taught her Sam flashed her eyes at the pair. Teal'c instantly forgot about Daniel and turned around to train his weapon on Sam. Daniel was too stunned to do anything. His greatest fear had suddenly been realized. The wash of adrenaline woke Gabriel and he violently ripped control away from Daniel. 

Kicking at Teal'c staff weapon Gabriel managed to throw off the Jaffa's aim. Sam cried out as the marble at her feet scorched with the power of the blast. Gabriel leapt to his feet and tackled Teal'c from behind. 

Teal'c roared like a bear and tried to throw Gabriel off. However a combination of the Goa'uld's strength and his own sickness put him at a serve disadvantage. Not knowing what else to Gabriel slipped Teal'c into a sleeper hold. Teal'c struggled desperately, however he slowly lost consciousness. Having won the fight Gabriel released his opponent.

Gabriel stood and took a few steps towards Sam. With a cry of surprise he fell to his hands and knees as Daniel raged against him. He had not spent thousands of years suppressing unwilling hosts the way his children had. For a moment Daniel proved more powerful and Gabriel lost his hold on him. 

"Jack!" Daniel cried from his place on the floor. "Jack! Help!"

"Daniel, it's okay...I'm not a Goa'uld." Sam assured as she rushed to his side. 

"Jack!"

"Daniel, please...I didn't know what else to do..." 

Daniel scream in a sickening mix of pain and anger. Trembling uncontrollably he started to claw at the back of his neck. 

"Daniel!" Sam cried.

"No." Gabriel admitted as he finally won the battle.

"Gabriel, let Daniel go!"

"No." Gabriel replied softly. "He'll kill you, and then himself."

"He wouldn't do th..."

"Sam, he believes you're a Goa'uld now. And nothing either one of us can say will make him think otherwise."

"Let him go!" Sam insisted. "Let me talk to him!"

"It will do no good. You know he will be beyond reasoning with, if not clinically insane by now." 

"Gabriel, please..."

"Sam, we've lost Daniel's trust...and I can only think of one way we'll ever regain it. To do that, you'll have to continue to trust me."

Gabriel stared up at Sam, waiting for her to make her decision. She hadn't even noticed that she'd taken her gun out. Looking back at Teal'c she found him fighting for breath even as he slept. Holstering her gun she closed her eyes in weary defeat. 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Sam was getting very tired of the makeshift lab that they had built. She and Gabriel had been working for hours, or at least pretending to. She hadn't managed to do one useful thing since the confrontation in the Gateroom. Gabriel had been easy to work with before, but now knowing that he was holding Daniel against his will Sam couldn't seem to concentrate on the task at hand. 

Having to restrain Teal'c did not help her any. Gabriel would only agree to heal the Jaffa if there was no chance that he would be able to attack them once he did. Teal'c had been in such a rage when he woke that Gabriel had been forced to sedate him just to keep him from hurting himself. At the same time Jack's fever was returning and the only thing that seemed to slow its progress was sleeping, which was just about all he could do at the moment anyway.

"Sam, please, let's try something different." Gabriel said suddenly. "Combing through the Ancient knowledge is proving to be pointless."

"Feel free to go take another walk," Sam snarled "while you're at it make sure it's a long one off a short pier."

"I deserved that." Gabriel replied calmly. "However, I was thinking that maybe we could just dialogue about this...that is if you're still willing to talk to me. I'm just thinking that we've been working in the same room on this problem, but we have not been working together on it."

"You want to brainstorm?"

"A creature of my nature doesn't really like that term, but yes." Gabriel replied.

Sam thought about it for a minute. She really wasn't in the mood to 'chat' with Gabriel at the moment. At the same time she realized that he had a good idea and that they should have done it days before.

"Alright." Sam conceded. "It's worth a shot."

"Let's start with what your most recent thought about this are."

"When General O'Neill fell ill I thought at first that it might have something to do with being Ancient, but Teal'c certainly isn't."

"Nor are there as many Ancient descendants as have already died." Gabriel added. "They are very rare." 

"So what do Teal'c and General O'Neill have in common that Daniel and I don't?"

"Maybe we're looking at this backwards."

"You mean rather than something that makes people susceptible, there might be something that makes them immune?"

"Why not?" Gabriel asked.

"What if Rea'beka was right about this being a weapon meant to be against the Ancients that went wrong. Maybe this is what went wrong, it not only killed Ancients, but anyone who wasn't a Niacine?"

"But the whole reason Rea'beka started this was to save the Niacines, so th..."

"Yes, but what if that isn't true?" Sam interrupted.

"What?"

"We've just been assuming that the Niacine world is dying or is in danger of doing so." Sam explained. 

"You think Rea'beka is lying?"

"I wouldn't put it past her." Sam growled. "However, no, I don't think she's 'lying' per se. I think she doesn't know the truth. Rea'beka never returned home out of fear, she just assumes that it must have spread there or was going to."

"That is a big assumption." Gabriel agreed. "I hadn't thought of that...I honestly can't imagine the Niacines releasing such a dangerous bioweapon. We were not a vengeful people. However I am now also guilty of making assumptions...much could have changed in my absents."

"We should go to the Niacine home world an..."

"No!" Gabriel barked suddenly. 

"Gab..."

"If the Niacine world has remained untouched I will not risk bringing this there anymore than your General was willing to risk spreading it to the SGC!"

Sam backed away from Gabriel's sudden outburst. He saw her reached down for her gun and held his hands up peacefully. Trying to make up for his rash behaviour he flashed her a smile. Sam took her hand away from her gun, but her expression remained wary.

"I have to admit though, your though your theory has merit." Gabriel said camly. "I know for a fact that Daniel is Niacine/Tau'ri mix. It is not beyond the realm of possibilities that you are as well."

"How can we tell?"

"Well, that's more difficult, if not impossible." Gabriel admitted sadly. "The reason I know Daniel is of partial Niacine decent is the simple fact that he has the ability to hold the knowledge of the Ancients."

"Isn't that because he was Ascended?"

"No, that's just when he got it. The ability had to already be there. Believe me the Ancients wouldn't have gone to the immense trouble to create the Niacine race if just anyone could hold it. Recall what happened to General O'Neill when he was given the Ancient knowledge."

"It almost killed him." Sam admitted.

"Exactly, he does not have the ability because he is of Ancient blood, not Niacine."

"Is there any chance that there is a gene like the Ancient one?" Sam asked. "Something we could test for to tell who is Niacine."

"Anything is possible..."

"...it's just not mathmatical probable." Sam finished with a slight smile.

Gabriel smiled brightly in return, his eyes lighting up. Sam chastised herself for forgetting who Gabriel was and the consequence of letting him believe she trusted him. She recalled Daniel's heart rendering cry as Gabriel forced him back into captivity. Gabriel saw the change in her expression and matched it with a serious one of his own.

"Even if it was probable," Gabriel continued "are we trying to say that everyone at the SGC and Area 51 with the exception of the General, and Teal'c are Niacine?"

"No, that doesn't make sense either." Sam sighed in disappointment.

"Plus there's SG-7." Gabriel pointed out. "It would be an amazing coincidence that SG-7 was the only non-Niacine team...with the exception of the Major that survived."

"Personally I think it's an amazing coincidence that they one world they traveled to after Rea'beka had left just happened to be infected." Sam added.

"So they must have brought it with them."

"Or..." Sam started without thinking.

"Or I planted the disease there to force Daniel to come here." Gabriel finished. 

"Of course this Plague started before Rea'beka freed you." Sam countered.

"Or at least that's what she tells you." Gabriel retorted darkly.

"This doesn't help." Sam sighed. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, I'm sorry." Gabriel sighed. "I'm the one that took offense." 

"In any case, none of this bring us any closer to an answer."

"Not really." Gabriel agreed.

"Unless..." Sam suddenly trailed off into her own thoughts. 

"Unless?"

"What if there is a secondary factor that combines with being Niacine?" Sam asked in an excited tone. "Something on Earth itself that helps people who aren't naturally immune?"

"If we could find that factor..." Gabriel said with all the excitment of a child.

"I think we should try and find a Niacine gene in Rea'beka, Daniel, and myself. The factor could be anything, at least a gene would let us know that we were pointed in the right direction and just maybe give us a better idea of what the factor could be."

"Agreed!" Gabriel crowed. "Where do we start?"

"Well we already have Daniel's, Teal'c's, and General O'Neill's DNA coding already on file."

"That's convenient." Gabriel mocked.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't believe how often it takes DNA testing to tell who's who around the SGC."

"Oh, I believe it." Gabriel chuckled.

"I've got samples from her so I can get that started." Sam said, trying her hardest not to share in his excitment. "We should also run the DNA of at least two native survivors and two native victims. Then we'll have to run a program to compare them all, and look for something that links or separates us."

"Remember that whole needle in a haystack thing?"

"Yeah, I know...but at least it's not the Ocean."

"Very true."

Gabriel smiled and Sam found herself finally breaking down and doing so as well. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he simply walked over to the cooler where they had been keeping all of their samples. It took about an hour worth of work to get everything set up. Once the computer was in motion there was nothing to do but wait.

"How long will it take the program to run?" Gabriel asked.

"It will take about five to get the other DNA codes into the system, and at least another four after that to do the comparison. Even then there is no guarantee that this will work. But there is little we can do until the program ends."

"You should get some sleep then." Gabriel suggested softly.

Sam took a breath to protest, but in the end she had to admit to herself that if she didn't sleep now she'd simply pass out later. She got up from her place in front of the computer and looked around.

"What about you?" Sam asked.

"I promise to be a gentlemen."

"That's not what I meant." 

"I slept already...it almost cost Daniel his life at Teal'c's hand."

Gabriel smiled sadly and took Sam's seat in front of the computer. He seemed content to watch it running its comparison. Sam thought about seeking out a bedroom, but decided on just taking the well used futon. 

She laid down and closed her eyes. Despite being extremely tired after about half an hour she realized she couldn't sleep. She watched Gabriel for a while as he watched the sequencing go by.

It was driving her insane not knowing if he could be trusted or not. Everything she knew about Goa'ulds screamed at her that deep down the father of a race as single mindedly power thirsty as the Goa'uld could not be free of such thoughts himself. 

"Gabriel?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"When this is over...you're going to let Daniel go, right?"

Gabriel tore his eyes away from the computer and stared at Sam with an unreadable exspression.

"That depends." 

"Depends on what?" Sam asked nervously.

"A lot of things." Gabriel admitted. "In the end it might not be the humane thing to do."

"I can imagine anything crueler than what you're doing to him now."

Sam instantly regretted her words. The look on Gabriel's face was heartbreaking. She tried to force herself into remembering what wonderful actors the Goa'uld could be. However she decided that in the slight chance that Gabriel was innocent he deserved an apology. After all, even if it wasn't probably, anything was possible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that they way it sou..."

"No, you're right." Gabriel dragged Daniel's hands through his hair. "For right now let's just agree to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Just as long as you don't burn it before we get the chance."

"You have my word, that's all I have to give."

"Then it will have to be enough."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Sam woke from a dreamless sleep. She sat up and stretched out her sore back. Her heart jumped when she looked up and didn't find Gabriel sitting at the computer. However it didn't take her more than a few seconds to see that he had simply laid down on the floor to get some sleep.

Making as little noise as possible Sam stepped up to the computer. It only had a few more minutes left before the comparison was complete. Kneeling down next to Gabriel she touch his shoulder to wake him. He jerked awake and stared up at her with what could only be described as murderous intent.

"Let her go!" Daniel snarled.

"Daniel, it's me, it's okay. I'm not a Goa'u..."

"Jac..."

Daniel's cry for help was cut short as he weld his eyes shut with a growl of enraged frustration. Sam didn't know what to do other than wait to see who would win out. When his eyes opened again there was no doubt in Sam's mind that it was Gabriel who was looking out.

"I am sorry about that."

"Gabriel, please, just give me a chance to talk to Daniel."

"No, the risks of it are too great."

"If he attacks me you can just take over again."

"I'm not sure that I could," Gabriel admitted "he is quickly learning ways to fight me."

"The tighter you hold on to something, the more it slips through your fingers. If he could be convinced..."

"In order to do that we'd better have some answers."

Sam started to protest, but stopped when she realized that Gabriel was right. Daniel wouldn't listen to her, because he didn't think he was talking to her. Standing back up she went over to the computer that had just completed its analysis. She hadn't been looking at the results for more than a minute when one particular finding jumped off the screen at her.

"Rea'beka..." Sam said slowly "she has the Ancient gene."

Gabriel got up on his feet and leaned over Sam's shoulder to read the screen. The computer had calculated that there was over a ninety-nine percent chance that she and Jack shared the same unusual gene that allowed the Ancients access to their technology.

"I actually should have thought of that myself already." Gabriel muttered. "There would have been no other way for her to activate the Galaxygate to come and free me."

"She actually used General O'Neill's blood to activate the Gate."

"Samantha Carter," Gabriel admonished with a smile "you don't really think an Ancient device could be fooled by such a mundane trick do you?"

"Sometimes the simplest tricks are the best ones."

"True, but not in this case. Blood would not be enough to run the Galaxygate." Gabriel said confidently. "I had seen that memory in Daniel's mind, but I had just dismissed it before. The blood did nothing to the Galaxygate. However it does mean that Rea'beka herself is unaware of her genetic heritage."

"I suppose that's not surprising either. So now we can assume that just having the Ancient gene isn't enough to make one susceptible."

"No, but it could still have helped her be a carrier."

"If she is one." Sam replied in her role as Devil's Advocate.

"She has to be. Every world, except your own, that she stepped foot on has been infected."

"Let's just put that on the back burner for the moment." Sam suggest as she started to scroll through the rest of the report. "I think we're finally getting somewhere, Gabriel."

"There's a gene that looks like it could be Niacine?"

"There are over a hundred of them."

"What?!" Gabriel asked in shock.

"Daniel, myself, Rea'beka, and both of the native survivors that we tested, we all share one hundred fifty seven genes that have not been labeled by the Human Genome Project."

"How is it that you never noticed how much in common you and Daniel have?"

"Because all of these genes are in the areas of the genome that has been labeled 'Junk DNA'."

"Just because your human scientists can't figure out what a gene does, doesn't make it 'junk'." Gabriel grumbled.

"I agree. Many call it noncoding DNA for that exact reason. But we didn't notice it before because Daniel and I never had any reason to compare our genetics."

"Well, I think we can safely assume that being Niacine is what it takes to be immune." Gabriel sighed. "And that something else must protect Earth."

"You don't sound particularly happy about that." Sam said surprised.

"It points towards a terrible truth."

"That this really was developed as a weapon by the Niacines."

Gabriel nodded. He looked miserable all of a sudden.

"Gabriel, I'm sorry, but it looks like the tablet that Rea'beka found was telling the truth."

"I was so close, so close." Gabriel muttered as he rubbed at his temples. "This is all my fault."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I was captured by the Goa'uld that I myself created I was on my way to sign the very first Peace Treaty between the Ancients and the Niacines. The people who had started the war had been dead for so long, and everyone was so weary of the fighting. We were coming together, to end it. To divide the Galaxy into our worlds and theirs. I was to meet with the High Councilor of the Ancients on a neutral world...I believe you've been there."

"What?"

"The Nox world." Gabriel replied fondly. "They are the oldest race, and by far the wisest of any that have ever lived. They refused to help either side win the war, but they were more than happy to help bring us together."

"But you never made it."

"No. Using the Unas as hosts the Goa'uld had been spreading. We were all too preoccupied with our hate for one another to notice the threat coming in on the other side. The Nox wouldn't let us use their Stargate, which had been a gift from the Ancients, so both side had to travel by ship. I was attacked, the Goa'uld found me..."

"And imprisoned you back on the Ancient Lab." Sam finished when Gabriel didn't continue.

"Yes...eventually."

"Eventually?"

Gabriel said nothing at first. It wasn't until Sam gasped in realization herself that Gabriel continued.

"They desperately wanted to know how to take more humanoid hosts. I was the only one who had ever managed it. And the Goa'uld only know one way to ask for what they want."

"Gabriel, I'm so sorry. I...I can't even imagine..."

"I don't want you to." Gabriel shuddered. "I never knew how long they kept me. Daniel's research on Goa'uld history suggests that it took about six hundred years for Goa'uld to jump from Unas to Tau'ri hosts."

"Oh my God..." Sam breathed in horror.

"I swear, I never let the true Gabriel feel a moment of the pain." Gabriel whispered. "It was my responsibility, they were my children."

Gabriel was starting to tremble. Without even thinking Sam reached out and drew him into a comforting embrace. He was breathing heavily, but slowly started to bring himself back under control. After a moment of peace he pulled away from Sam.

"I'm fine." He forced a smile. "It's in the past. We need to focus on what's happening now."

"Do you think the Goa'uld developed the weapon against the Ancients?"

"No...they would not release something that killed their new potential hosts."

"So it must have been a Niacine."

"Worse yet...I can only think of one Niacine that would have even come close to being capable of developing such a sophisticated weapon that even the Ancients couldn't figure it out."

"Who?"

"You."

"What?!"

"After my capture Leena would have been the only Niacine left with enough knowledge about the Ancients to do this. The Niacines did not have genetic memory, after a single generation of freedom they lost their knowledge. It was only through Gabriel, myself, and Leena that the Niacines continued to have access to the technology that the Goa'uld eventually took as their own."

"How many years did it take to get to a point where you could try and make peace with the Ancients?"

"Two thousand three hundred twenty-eight years."

"You were at war for over two thousand years?" Sam breathed in horror.

"It almost ripped the Galaxy apart. You can't comprehend the slaughter. Every world that holds a Stargate was once home to a mix of Ancients and their Niacine slaves. The rebellion was on a scale of thousands of worlds. There were Traitors and Heroes on both sides, spies and double agents...it was chaos."

"You're right, that's something I can't comprehend." Sam admitted. "I can understand how you lived that long, but how did Leena survive all those years?"

"I started mixing Niacine blood with Naquadah the same way the Ancients had done to me and themselves so that my people could use the technology. Much like the eye flashing there is another use for Naquadah. It can't heal, but it can bring the aging process to a grinding halt. I only taught Leena how to do it because ironically enough I was afraid of creating an entire race of immortals. I could teach it to you, but it would take years."

"Well we don't have that kind of time right now."

"Maybe later." Gabriel smiled. "When I did not return...Leena must have done something rash."

"Are you trying to tell me that to figure this thing out we have to out smart a version of myself that had accesses to the knowledge of the Ancients?"

"Yes...without even knowing where to beginning."

"I wish there was a way I could remember what I've done." Sam sighed.

Gabriel gasped sharply as though someone had splashed him with ice water.

"There is!" He cried in excitement.

"What?"

"There's a way you can remember! Sam, you could remember everything, you'd know exactly what is causing this Plague and more than likely how to stop it."

"How?"

"The Ancient Lab...they have this substance that they used to keep me in to enhance my natural genetic memory. It sent Daniel into the past, it can do the same for you."

"Whoa...wait a minute...you want to go to the Galaxygate?" Sam asked nervously. "General O'Neill will never allow you to use the Stargate let alone the Galaxygate."

"He will if it's Daniel's idea."

"Daniel will never agree to this either." Sam protested. "We'll never be able to talk him into letting you anywhere near that Gate."

"I'm not suggesting we try." Gabriel said simply. "You're the only one who seems to be able to tell the difference between myself and Daniel. I could be him if you say so."

Sam balked, her instincts about what Gabriel truly was were screaming warnings at her once more. To trust him in the temple lab was one thing, but to grant him access to a Gate that could jump Galaxies was another.

"I...I can't lie to a Superior Officer..." Sam said weakly.

"Do not insult me, Samantha." Gabriel growled darkly. "This has nothing to do with some frivolous Air Force rule...you simply still don't trust me."

"No, I guess I don't." Sam admitted.

"Then this is hopeless!" Gabriel spat. "The only way we are going to come close to an answer is to find out where this began, and the only place to learn that is in the Ancient Lab."

"Then General O'Neill and I will go alone."

"He will never make it, you need me to heal him along the way."

"Gabriel...I...can't..."

Gabriel's expression rapidly degraded into one of disgust. He took a breath as though he was going to argue further, but he did not. Drawing away from Sam he started towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Home." Gabriel snarled.

"What?"

He stopped and faced Sam once more, looking for all the world like he was fighting tears.

"Gabr..."

"If you won't risk accepting my help, I'm not going to stay."

"What about Daniel?"

Gabriel didn't answer. He just squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes in a silent show of defiance. Turning away from Sam he made his way once more for the door. Sam pulled out her sidearm and aimed it at the back of Gabriel's head. Gabriel paused at the sound of Sam nosily cocking the weapon.

"I will kill Daniel before I let you leave here with him!"

Gabriel turned around slowly. Leaning casually against the doorframe he smiled sadly. He lifted one eye brow in a 'well-what-are-you-waiting-for' expression. Readjusting her aim to Gabriel's thigh to at least slow him down she pulled the trigger.

Gabriel chuckled at the weapon's impotent clicking. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of bullets that he had taken from the gun while she was sleeping. Snarling in anger more at herself than anyone else Sam dropped the worthless weapon.

"I admire your willingness to sacrifice your friend rather than leave him to this fate." Gabriel said honestly. "I do regret that Daniel and I can not live in harmony."

"But that's not going to stop you from taking him?"

"No." Gabriel admitted. "I need him, and who knows in a few hundred years he and I may be friends...if he can keep his sanity that long."

"No, Gabriel, please..."

"I'm truly sorry, Sam. I have to do this. If you will not trust me enough to try and save the current civilizations in this Galaxy then I will use the knowledge of the Ancients to rebuild it once this is over."

"What?"

"Thanks to you I now know that the Niacines will survive this with or without your help Samantha Carter." Gabriel informed in a cold calculating tone. "And since Daniel Jackson would just kill himself anyway if I released him I will instead put every thing he knows to good use to restore my Niacine children to their former glory."

"You can't just sit back and watch the rest of the Galaxy die!"

"I'm not, you are." Gabriel snarled. "I will gladly help you solve this, but I have done everything I can! If we are going to go any further you have to trust me, and you must travel with me to the Galaxygate with O'Neill."

"Gabriel, I...I can't jus..."

"I will give you twenty-four hours to make your decision."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"So...what are we doing?"

"We're dialing to Shamda's world so we can get to the planet that has the Galaxygate." Carter reiterated to Jack.

"Ah...right, of course. I knew that." Jack replied with a vague nod. He looked around the temple Gateroom. "Where's Teal'c?" 

"Rea'beka is taking care of him."

"Ah." Jack nodded again, but he was still clearly confused. "And we trust her to do that?"

"She is aware of the consequences if she does not do a good job." Gabriel assured.

Gabriel started to dial the sequence on the temple's DHD, but Jack calmly reached out and stopped him. Gabriel looked up at him annoyed.

"Um...Daniel, I know what we're doing now, but...um...I'm still unclear as to 'why?'." 

"We already told you," Gabriel sighed "the Ancient Lab may have a cure for this illness. It took quite sometime for you to agree to do this, and we don't have time to go through the argument again."

"Ah, right..." Jack said vacantly. 

"Are you feeling alright, Sir?" Carter asked with concern even though it was clear that he was not.

"I vaguely recall ordering you not to ask me that." Jack furrowed his brow. "But since you are asking...I've definitely felt better."

Gabriel finished the dialing sequence and while the Gate activated he turned his attention to Jack. He had been doing alright until they had brought him into the Gateroom. The short walk had proven to be extremely draining. Gabriel put the back of his hand against Jack's forehead, his fever was spiking again. 

"He's getting worse faster." Gabriel sighed. "The fever is causing the confusion."

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Gabriel lied.

"Why are you talking about me like I'm not here?"

"Because you're acting like you're not 'here'."

"Ah."

Everyone turned their attention to the Gate as the violent vortex snapped out of it. Jack instantly went towards the open wormhole, however Gabriel reached out and stopped him.

"You're not traveling in this condition." Gabriel announced. He took the small Niacine healing device out of his pocket and pressed it against Jack's heart. "Better?"

"Much." Jack replied clearly. He looked at the Gate and then back at Gabriel. "Daniel...are you sure about this?"

"No, but we don't have choice."

"Carter?" Jack asked. "You're on board for going?"

Sam hesitated before nodding. Jack furrowed his brow once again, but then he just shrugged. Without further protest he walked up to the Gate and stepped through. Gabriel walked up to the event horizon. When Sam didn't follow he turned around.

"Are you coming?"

Sam grit her teeth and stepped up to the Gate. She pushed herself past Gabriel and walked through the simmering pool of light. The icy trip was the same as it always was. However stepping out on the other side felt like being kicked in the stomach.

Sam fought hard not to retch at the over powering stench of decay that had violently invaded her senses. She staggered down the steps towards Jack who was standing near the DHD trying hard to breath against the nauseating odour. 

Gabriel came through the Gate and was instantly dropped to his knees. Jack rushed up to help him as he started dry heaving. He knelt down next to him and put his hand between his shoulders. When Sam saw that it was Daniel who looked up she gasped nervously. She was about to intervene, however, she had just filled her lungs with the tainted air and was sent into a coughing fit.

"Jack..." Daniel panted "Help me...wha...what's happening?"

"Come, on your feet, we're leaving." O'Neill ordered.

By the time Jack got Daniel to his feet he was gone, replaced once again by Gabriel. The shock of the air and the struggle with Daniel left Gabriel unsteady. Jack slipped under Gabriel's arm to help support him. Gabriel could feel the heat of Jack's body radiating through his shirt.

"I...I know that smell." Gabriel whispered in horror. "They're all dead, aren't they?"

"I'm sorry, Daniel, I know these were your friends." Jack said softly. He helped Gabriel step away from the Gate and looked up at Sam. "Carter, dial that thing."

"Your fever is getting worse already." Gabriel noted.

"Don't worry about me."

Gabriel stared at Jack, sweat was starting to roll down his skin once again. Jack forced a brave smile. Behind them he could hear the Gate snapping to life. Gabriel went for the healing device in his pocket but Jack stopped him.

"Let's get out of here first." Jack explained. 

Sam joined them and the four of them retreated from the dead world. The air on the other side of the Gate was sweet in comparison, yet the stench still lingered. Gabriel stepped through the Gate still being supported by Jack. However Jack quickly buckled and slipped to the hard marble platform that held the Gate.

"Sir!" Sam cried. 

Gasping for breath Jack's eyes rolled back as his muscles pulled tightly against one another. Gabriel quickly straddled him and sat on his stomach so he could keep Jack from breaking his back as he started another violent seizure. Sam watched helplessly, tears tracking silently down her face as Gabriel tried the healing device once again. 

It wasn't as easy this time and by the time Gabriel had Jack stabilized he was too drained to keep his hold on Daniel. Daniel looked down in horror at scene, it looked to him like he had just managed to get the upper hand over Jack in a fight.

"Ja...Jack?" Daniel asked shakily. "I...I'm sorry...are you alright?"

"I would be," Jack groaned "if you weren't sitting on my spleen."

"Ja..."

"Daniel," Jack interrupted "get off me."

"Sorry." Gabriel apologized.

Gabriel stood and helped Jack do the same. Jack looked a little worse for the wear, but he was steady on his feet. Sam brushed away her tears and tried to hide her anxiety. Her stomach twisted at the thought of what Daniel must be making out of all this. She found herself wishing that Gabriel had better control over him, a thought that just added to her guilt.

"Carter?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"You still with us?" Jack asked taking a step closer.

"Yes, Sir." 

"We're running out of time." Gabriel announced. "Do you think you can make it to the Galaxygate?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Jack replied. "Tell...um...tell Gabriel 'thank you'."

Gabriel almost gave himself away with the look of shock that spread across his face.

"H..he can hear you." Gabriel replied. "He says 'Anytime'."

"Well, let's hope I don't have to take him up on that offer too many more times." Jack chuckled. "Come on, Carter, time to save the Galaxy again...and maybe my own skin while you're at it."

Sam couldn't move. She was having so many conflicting thoughts about what was happening. She wanted so much to just tell Jack the truth, he was going to learn it eventually. With that thought Sam suddenly realized that Jack learning that she couldn't be trusted was her greatest fear about all of this. 

Even if everything Gabriel said was true, even if a cure was found and he released Daniel as promised, how could any of them forgive her for letting a Goa'uld hold Daniel against his will. Even worse, stand by and say nothing while Jack believed himself to be talking to his friend while in all truth he may be following him blindly to slaughter. 

"Carter?" Jack asked. "Are you coming?" 

Sam snapped out of her thought. Jack and Gabriel had already made it about twenty feet away. Gabriel turned and said something to Jack. He thought about it and nodded. Sam tensed as Gabriel approached, she put her hand on her weapon even though it still held no bullets. Gabriel stopped just in front of her and for a moment he just looked at her.

"They will forgive you." Gabriel whispered, having easily read her thoughts. 

"Nothing you say can be trusted." Sam snarled in sudden anger.

"You're right." Gabriel sighed. "I...I have lied to you...for thousands of years."

"What?" Sam gasped as she stepped back.

"You never loved me...you never even really knew me."

"You took over the true Gabriel and you never told Leena." Sam concluded. "How could you betray the man who save you?"

"We saved each other, and I did not betray him. I took over when he went insane from the costs of war. If you think Daniel has trouble dealing with the guilt of not saving his wife, imagine if he started a war that cost the lives of literally billions with no real end in sight. Do you think Daniel could handle that?"

"I'm not sure anyone could." Sam admitted.

"I have to admit that I wanted to take control of him for years before I did. But even once I did I never truly got what I wanted."

"What do you want?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Gabriel asked with a sad smile. "I want you to love me, but you never will, not the way I want you to. You never even loved the real Gabriel...well that's not true, you did. However it wasn't the same, after all he was your brother."

"What?" Sam asked shocked.

"Well, not by blood, but recall that I told you that Gate Lines and Technology Lines are always raised together. Gabriel was your Technology Line. So you loved us, but not the way you love O'Neill."

"I...I..."

"Don't bother lying." Gabriel smiled. "I know it, Daniel knows it...you and O'Neill know it, you just won't admit to it."

"Why...why are you telling me all of this now?"

"Because I'm tired of lying to you, I can see the pain it's causing you." Gabriel admitted sincerely. "I wanted to tell you the truth before you go to the past and figure it out for yourself. And I've finally realized no matter how I try, no matter what I do, no matter how hard I pretend, I will never escape what I am: a filthy parasite."

"Gab..."

"In order for me to ever truly live...someone else has to die."

"That's why you're helping us," Sam said in horror "you think if you save enough lives...you'll be justified in taking one. You're just like Ma'chello."

"No...Ma'chello never offered anything in return. I am offering the means to end a Plauge that will slowly wipe out three fourths of the life in this Galaxy."

"Please, don't take Daniel..." Sam begged.

"If it would help you sleep at night that I take a stranger...I will." Gabriel said honestly. "Just name them."

"I...I...can't make a decision like that."

"Then I will make Daniel choose." Gabriel said icily.

"He wouldn't wish this fate on his worst enemy."

"Then he will remain my host...of his own free will."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The trip down to the marble city took twice as long as it had before. Jack refused to stop and rest, yet he simply couldn't walk as quickly as normal. He also had no interest in Gabriel's help until it was absolutely necessary. Even though it wasn't as powerful as a sarcophagus he was still wary of continual exposure to the healing device. 

Eventually they made their way up the marble stairs to the enormous mother-of-pearl and gold temple. Sam found herself lagging behind even though she wasn't meaning to drag her feet. Jack and Gabriel stepped up to the doors and just as before they reacted to Jack's presence. Before entering he looked over at Gabriel.

"So you're saying that Rea'beka dragged my blood all this way for nothing?" Jack asked plaintively.

"Pretty much." Gabriel answered.

"For crying out loud, that woman is a menace." He grumbled. "I can't believe I agreed to leave Teal'c with her."

"He'll be alright, she'll take good care of him." Gabriel assured. "She's a good person and honestly didn't mean any harm."

"Yeah, well that didn't stop her from causing it." 

"How many worlds have you stepped on and inadvertently caused a crisis?"

"'You'?" Jack asked suspiciously. "Don't try to act like you weren't there."

"I was just making a point."

"You honestly forgive Rea'beka for what she did to you?"

"Yes." 

"You never cease to amaze me, Daniel." Jack slung his arm around Gabriel's shoulders and tousled his hair before releasing him.

Sam still hated to see Gabriel and Jack getting along as though they were actually friends. It was just going to make Jack feel more betrayed in the end. Knowing there was nothing to be done about it now she followed them down the long hall towards the audience chamber that held the Galaxygate.

Jack walked up to the oversized DHD with Gabriel at his side. He looked it over for a moment. He held his hand over one of the Symbols and then reconsidered.

"Okay, I confess...I don't remember the Address." Jack admitted.

"I'll show you." Gabriel said. "But first, how's your fever?"

"You know I actually feel better than I did back at the other Gate, I mean even after Gabriel healed me."

"Maybe whatever is on Earth that helps people is here to."

"That would be nice. Maybe I could stay here, I bet rent is reasonable, the neighborhood is certainly quiet."

Gabriel chuckled and gave Jack a friendly shove. Standing a few feet back Sam crossed her arms and kept silent. Gabriel reached out and placed his hand on one of the symbols. Jack took the hint and pressed it. They went through the entire eight Symbol Address and the Galaxygate sprung to life with its oddly coloured event horizon. 

"Okay, Kids," Jack announced cheerfully "you two stay here and I'll radio you from the other side."

"What?" Gabriel asked.

"Let's face facts here, Daniel, the last jump nearly killed me." Jack admitted. "This is a much longer hike, I mean we don't even know what Galaxy this goes to. So stay here until I know I can get you back."

"No." Gabriel said firmly. "I'll go first."

"What?" Sam asked surprised.

"Daniel, if I don't make it you'll be trapped there." Jack pointed out again needlessly.

"I know, but if you have a seizure on the other side you'll need Gabriel there to heal you. Even a few seconds delay could be the difference between life and death. Then we can let Sam know if it's safe, that way at least she won't be stuck there with me if Gabriel can't help you."

"And Gabriel is willing to go along with all of this?" Jack asked skeptically.

"He's not happy about it," Gabriel admitted truthfully "but he agrees with me."

"Well I guess now that I've seen it all I'm ready to die anyway." Jack chuckled.

"Seen it all?" Gabriel asked.

"I've finally met a Gou'ald with a belly some other colour than yellow."

Gabriel smiled brightly and without hesitation he stepped up to and through the slightly green coloured event horizon. Sam was simply speechless. For a moment she was ashamed of ever having doubted Gabriel, but then she reminded herself that Gabriel had to know that Jack would follow Daniel without question. He could still just be protecting his own agenda. 

"Carter?" Jack asked nervously.

"I'm sorry, Sir, lost in thought."

"So I can see." Jack replied. "Are you sure you're not catching this thing?"

"No, I can't. I'm immune."

"Good." Jack smiled and then looked at the waiting Gate. "Well...I...um...I'll see you on the other side."

When Jack went to go towards the Gate she hurried up to him to stop him. No matter how much was at stake she couldn't let him step through the Gate, possibly to his death, without telling him the truth about Gabriel. If he was going to risk his life he needed to know who he was risking it for. She owed him that much at least.

"Sir...I..." Sam hesitated "I have to tell you something..."

"No you don't."

Sam gasped sharply as Jack wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled up against him. Unlike Gabriel he didn't force her into anything, he just brought her close enough to make a decision on her own. Sam had him in a passionate kiss before she even had a chance to think about it herself. When she was finally rendered breathless she pulled away.

"If anyone asks," Jack chuckled softly "I was delirious with fever."

"..." Sam failed to actually reply.

"You'll have to come up with your own excuse."

Before Sam could find her voice to respond Jack winked and walked through the Galaxygate as though it was just a mundane door.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Sam knew she should wait until the others radioed to let her knew that it was safe, but she stepped through the Galaxygate anyway. Jumping the almost incalculable light-years to the next Galaxy was a lot less pleasant than the usual trip through the Stargate, which wasn't exactly enjoyable to begin with. 

Back in the dilapidated Lab Sam fully expected Jack to at the very least be on the floor struggling against his mysterious fever. However, he was standing on his own, radio in hand. He lowered the radio and gave Sam a vexed look.

"You're having a harder and harder time following orders, aren't you Colonel?" Jack asked in mock anger.

"You never actually ordered me to wait, Sir, it was Ga...Daniel's idea."

"It was an implied order."

Jack smiled brightly, but when he pulled his hand through his hair his arm trembled visibly. Sam took a concerned step closer causing Jack to take a step back. She had never expected him to acknowledge what had happened on the other side of the Gate, but at the same time she didn't think he'd act afraid of her.

"Sir, are you al..."

"Not another word," Jack interrupted "I'm doing fine."

"He's doing better than fine." Gabriel noted. "He stepped through the Gate with little more than flushed cheeks."

"You, err, Gabriel didn't have to heal him?" Sam struggled to catch her slip.

"Nope." Jack replied.

"How is that possible?" Sam asked stunned.

"Danny says that Gabe said that he has a theory that we're dealing with some form of radiation sickness." Jack explained awkwardly.

"Radiation sickness isn't selectively contagious." Sam protested.

"Well, that's why it's just a 'theory'." Gabriel smiled. 

"Whatever," Jack shrugged "so where's this 'cure' you guys seem to think is here?"

Sam and Gabriel exchanged a nervous glance. They had not fully explained to Jack exactly what they were planning to do once they reached the Lab. In fact they hadn't explained it at all. He had been verging on delirious before they left and they figured he was going to stay that way. 

"Um..." Sam started.

"Well..." Gabriel continued.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Jack groaned.

"You're not." Sam admitted.

"We think the key might be in Sam's past li..."

"We're leaving." Jack said simply.

"Sir..."

"Leaving." Jack repeated and stalked over to the DHD. "What's the Address?"

"Ja..."

"Daniel I swear to God if you don't give me that Address I am going to beat you senseless and then beat the sense back into you...as many times as it takes." Jack snarled at Gabriel and then turned on Sam. "Carter, you're smarter than this, how the hell did he talk you into coming here?"

"Sir, it might be the only way we can figure this out." Sam replied. "If I somehow started th..."

"Are you insane?" Jack asked honestly. "Just because Daniel had some bizarre drug trip induced religious experience doesn't mean that any of this reincarnation stuff is real."

"It wasn't a hallucination." Gabriel said firmly. "I have proof."

"What 'proof' could you possibly have?" Jack hissed.

"Gabriel was there."

"Oh yeah, I'm going to trust the word of a Snake."

"You trusted him when he was saving your life."

Jack narrowed his eyes and glared at Gabriel. In return Gabriel stared back calmly. Sam rolled her eyes in frustration, clearly this wasn't going to get them anywhere. Like any true female warrior she remorselessly decided to go for Jack's weak spot.

"Sir, there is no point in asking you to trust Gabriel, but I would hope at this point that you would trust me."

"I trust you, I do." Jack protested. "I just think thi..."

"I want to do this because I think that there's a chance that it might work. And if it doesn't, no harm done. The flashback didn't kill Daniel, it won't kill me."

"Cart..."

"I'm a big girl, I can make my own decisions." Sam interrupted, going for the kill. "I'm not even taking a fraction of the risk that Daniel took when he agreed to host Gabriel. We can't turn back here, Daniel faced his greatest nightmare to get us this far."

"Yeah, but I didn't have any authority over him to stop him or else I would have."

"I'll resign here and now if that's what it's going to take."

Jack stared at Sam in shock and she glared back defiantly. He looked to Gabriel as if he'd somehow be willing to help. Seeing that he was clearly out numbered and out classed Jack threw his hands up in defeat. 

"Fine," Jack grumbled "but for the record: I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I." Sam admitted.

"But it's not going to stop you?"

"No more than it stopped Daniel."

"You two are going to be the death of me." 

Jack smiled sadly and shook his head as he headed over to open the door that would lead them to the chamber with the broken aquarium. Sam glared icily at Gabriel as she walked past him. He knew that her impassioned speech about Daniel's self sacrificing bravery hadn't been for Jack's ears. He stood motionlessly by the DHD as the pair disappeared through the door.

"I know what you're trying to do, Samantha Carter, but it is not going to work." Gabriel growled to himself. "Daniel Jackson is mine, and he will learn to accept that or pay the price. The knowledge he carries is too precious to be wasted on a man who can't even use it."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"I'm...uh...I'm not going to be stuck in the past for next two thousand years...am I?"

"No." Gabriel assured. "In fact at maximum only half an hour or so should go by here."

"Still," Jack said "two thousand years is a lot of time to comb through."

"You should be able to learn to jump through the memories at will. Once you accomplish that try and get to the point where I disappear."

"'I'?" Jack repeated in a dangerous tone.

"By 'I' I meant the original Gabriel, which is me." Gabriel covered his slip easily. "Just as Sam is Leena."

"This is too weird." Jack muttered.

"Any weirder than having your consciousness downloaded into a robot?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Stranger than waking up thirty years younger only to find tha..."

"I get the point, Daniel." Jack grumbled.

If it had actually been Jack and Daniel bantering at one another Sam would have smiled. However, currently she wasn't really in the mood. She stepped up to the broken aquarium and looked at the dry purple stain. Gabriel came up next to her, pulling up on the corner of his shirt he removed the safety pin that Daniel was still using to resize his uniform. 

"Good luck." Gabriel said honestly as he handed her the pin. 

Sam said nothing in return. She took the pin and pricked the end of her finger to get it to bleed. Before she could over think what she was about to do Sam reached out and rubbed her finger against the purple glass. At first nothing seemed to happen, then slowly it began to burn. She shook her head against a nauseating dizziness. The last thing she felt was Gabriel catching her as she started to fall.

After getting reoriented Sam looked around and found herself standing near a Gate on a heavily forested planet. Even though she didn't expect to be able to she tried to touch the Gate. Her hand passed through it as though it was just air. 

"Come on!" An annoyed voice growled. "I don't have time for this."

Sam turned around and her eyes widened with shock. The woman working busily over the DHD looked strikingly familiar, like looking at a computer program that could tell you what you'd look like after cosmetic surgery. 

"You must be Leena." Sam smiled. 

Not surprisingly Leena paid Sam no heed. Sam walked over and took a closer look at what Leena was doing. She had somehow managed to light up all of the Symbols at once and they flashed at her touch. The normally orange dome flickered with a myriad of colours.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked uselessly. 

Sam's ears pricked at the sounds of staff weapon fire in the distance. Leena heard it as well and cursed under her breath. She continued to work as the sounds of a small battle came nearer. A rag tag group of about a dozen Niacines stumbled into the clearing around the Stargate. They were quickly followed by Gabriel who was helping a man with a staff weapon blast to the leg.

"Leena!" Gabriel cried. "Get us out of here!"

"One more minute!" Leena called back without looking up.

"You have ten seconds!"

"Got it!" Leena cried in triumph as the DHD lights blackened.

"Dial it!"

Leena already had two of the Symbols dialed before he had given his order. The vortex had just snapped out at them when the first staff weapon blast slammed into the Gate. Gabriel lead everyone through the event horizon and then turned to find Leena still working at the DHD.

"Leena! Come on!"

"I have to lock the reset." Leena protested as she continued to muck with the DHD.

After rolling his eyes Gabriel ran to the DHD. He picked Leena up and threw her over his shoulder. Staff weapons didn't seem much more accurate in the hands of the early Ancients as in those of the Jaffa. Carrying Leena he managed to get them both through the Gate. 

To Sam her vision went somewhat haywire as they entered the event horizon. When it cleared she found herself with all of the others on the other side of the Gate. They were on a grassy hill on another lush planet. Gabriel put Leena down and she shoved him with a playful smile.

"That was a close one." Gabriel admitted.

"What happened to a nice 'quiet' operation?" Leena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Things got noisy." Gabriel chuckled.

Sam could see from Gabriel's smile that this was not the Gabriel that she knew. His mannerisms reminded her sharply of Daniel, but something was still off. Clearly the countless years and unknown number of incarnations had changed him. 

"Of course I suppose I could say the same of myself." Sam commented out loud.

"W...where are we?" One of the Nacines asked hesitantly. "Why didn't they just follow us?"

"Because they knew that there was no point." Gabriel replied with a smile. "Welcome to the home of the Nox."

"Nox? Allies?"

"Not exactly. This is a neutral world." Gabriel explained. "They will not help either side fight, but at the same time they do not tolerate fighting on their soil. They also will not allow anyone to be taken through the Cha'pa'i forcefully."

"So we are to stay here?" A young female asked.

"No, I would not abuse the hospitality of the Nox in such a way. We will rest here before moving on to a stepping stone world. This just gives a place to escape to where the Ancients can not see where we go. Once you prove your loyalty you will given the Address to Idlewyld."

"Idlewyld?"

"The first true Niacine City."

"So it truly exists?"

"That it does." Gabriel said proudly.

"We have agreed to follow you into Exile." The first Niacine said. "How do we further prove our loyalty?"

"The first is to trust in me that the Ancients are not gods and that the disks at your temples are nothing more than chains...remove them."

"We will die!" One gasped.

"Leena and I bear the scars, but still breath without them."

The man who had spoken first slowly reached up and pulled the silver disk away. He weld his eyes shut as though expecting to drop dead at any moment. When he didn't he opened his eyes and looked at the others. One by one they all did the same.

"See?" Gabriel smiled.

"What now?" The man asked.

"To be granted access to Idlewyld you must free five others."

"That's a really good idea." Sam mused. "Free one hundred in turn they'll free five hundred, then twenty-five hundred...an impressive exponential growth."

"It sounds like an impossible task." One complained.

"Clearly not," Leena snapped "for here you stand."

"Leena and I will help you all with the first...from there it gets much easier." Gabriel assured. "Once you reached Idlewyld you may choose your own path, build the city up, heal the sick, study the Galaxy, or simply continue adding to our numbers. No matter what your skills or 'Line' there is a place for you in Idlewyld."

Sam was fascinated by the opportunity to be watching the birth of such an expansive fight for freedom. However at the same time she knew her time here was limited and this didn't particularly help her current situation. She closed her eyes and tried just concentrating on moving towards a more useful memory.

When she opened her eyes again she found herself back in the temple Gateroom. It was clearly newer than the one she was used to, the floors held no dust, the walls still had bright paintings. The room was dimly lit, giving it the feel of being late at night.

Looking around Sam found Leena at the DHD concentrating on the flashing Symbols. As before she seemed to have found a way of interfacing directly with the DHD without the help of an outside computer. She pressed a few more Symbols and then made a noise of frustration.

"Leena?" 

Sam looked up and found that Gabriel had just entered the room. He looked like he'd just been woken, wearing a loose fitting pair of matching black silk pants and shirt. He stepped up to the DHD, but Leena was too busy with the Symbols and the flickering of the dome to pay any attention to him.

"Leena," Gabriel repeated "what are you doing? It's late, go to bed."

"I've almost got it." Leena muttered.

"Got what?"

"It takes too much time to reprogram the Cha'pa'i on each world we visit so that we can Dial out. In the hundreds of years that we'ev been doing this, how many have died while I adjust it?" Leena asked while she still worked on the Symbols. "And since no one else can do it, I always have to go to each new world, which just slows us down even further."

"You've been doing an amazing job so far. We would have never made it this far without you."

"Any number of the Gate Line could have helped you...if you'd let them."

"No, in the past five hundred years we've rescued hundreds of Gate Lines, none of them come close to being able to do what you can." Gabriel said honestly. He suddenly lost focus the way Daniel did when he was listening to Gabriel. "Goa'uld tells me that just because someone has access to the knowledge doesn't mean they understand it. It tak..."

"Goa'uld?" Sam repeated. "Gabriel used to use that as a name? No wonder he took yours."

"Got it!" Leena suddenly crowed in triumph.

"What have you done now?" Gabriel asked with a grin of excitement.

"I'll show you."

Leena reset the DHD so that the Symbols were no longer lit. She closed her eyes and for an alarmingly long period of time she didn't move. Snapping her eyes back open she Dial an Address that Sam guessed she had found somewhere in her mind. The Gate sprung to life. 

"Shall I get our weapons?" Gabriel asked.

"No, the world on the other side is no longer inhabited."

Gabriel nodded and they both stepped through the event horizon. Once again Sam's vision swam. When it cleared they stood on a desert world that held a few ruins in the distance. Gabriel looked around, curious, but mostly unimpressed. 

"So...what's here?" Gabriel asked.

"Nothing."

"Of course."

"Dial us home." Leena instructed.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow in surprise. He walked over to the DHD and pressed a Symbol. When it lit up under his hand he laughed. 

"That's amazing!" He exclaimed. "I mean I assume you've never reprogrammed this one."

"Nope." Leena smiled proudly. "I've set a program up so that when you dial a world it automatically spreads the program to that Cha'pa'i."

"This is going to change everything." Gabriel beamed.

"Better yet, once you spread the program into one Cha'pa'i any other world you dial using it will also be changed, and so on."

"So it will spread even faster."

"In a few hundred years every Cha'pa'i in the Galaxy will be accessible to anyone."

"Well, Leena," Sam smiled "I think you may have just created the world's very computer virus."

Once again Sam was fascinated by what she was learning. So much so that she had forgotten for a moment why she was even here. Closing her eyes once more she willed the scenery to change. 

Sam gasped sharply when she saw her new surroundings. Leena sat in the corner of a cell with three dark metal sides and one wall made of clear bars. She didn't seem frightened, but Sam knew better than most that it could easily be an act. 

Wanting to know what was going on Sam tried to leave the cell herself. However, she learned quickly that she could not see or know anything that Leena herself could not. She was considering trying to jump forward through time again when she heard someone coming down the hall.

A thin man with a severe expression stepped in front of the bars. A few feet behind him stood two men of strong build, guards most likely. Sam wasn't sure what told her that the man was an Ancient, but she had the feeling that he was. Leena looked up at him and a sick smile slid across his face.

"Malik," Leena spat "I should have known."

"I was wondering if you'd know my face. It's nice to finally met you too, Leena Mother of the Niacines." Malik greeted. "How long have we been hunting you?"

"About a thousand years longer than you've been alive." Leena mocked. 

"Yes, it has been a while." Malik replied unphased. "It's amazing how much damage you've done. Although I have to admit, that this little Revolution has forced us to think in new ways. We have developed a whole new line of technology, far more powerful than what we lost. However there is one piece that can never be replaced." 

"You can pry all the knowledge you want from me," Leena hissed fearlessly "but you will never be able to use it."

"I don't intend to try." Malik shrugged. "I know it was you who reprogrammed the Cha'pa'i so that any disgusting creature with half a brain can use it, and I know that you are the only one who can undo it."

"Never."

"We'll see about that."

"You don't frighten me, Malik, you're not even on the Ancient Council anymore. You're just an Exile."

"I won't be an Exile for much longer." Malik jeered.

Sam watched helplessly as the clear bars slid away and the two guards stepped towards Leena. Leena actually curled her top lip back and bared her teeth at them like a cornered wolf. To Sam's surprise the guards actually treated Leena as though she was dangerous.

When the guards went to grab her she proved that she was not to be underestimated. Sam was impressed, and secretly a little proud, of how long it took the men to get her under their control. However, outnumbered in such a small space they eventually pinned her. 

Once he was sure that she was restrained Malik entered the cell. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a colourful sphere. He turned it over in his hands purposefully and then released it. To Sam's surprise it did not fall, it hung in the air with a tiny blue light that chased itself around the circumference. 

Sam walked up to the sphere, she'd never seen anything like it. Once Malik had placed it in the air he seemed to forget about it. Malik drew closer to Leena and brought out a device that looked somewhat more familiar. Although Sam had never seen anything exactly like it, it had the clear glass like look of the Ancient technology found in the time machine. It was small, oval, rounded on one side and flat on the other. It looked innocent enough, however, Leena eyed it nervously.

"I'll be most impressed if you can reprogram this little piece of technology." Malik purred. He tore her shirt enough to place the oval disk over her heart where it stayed.

"I can't wait to watch Gabriel tear your heart out." Leena growled defiantly.

"I'd watch that." Sam agreed.

Malik's thin lips parted in what was most likely a smile. He calmly passed his hand over the disk. Sam's stomach twisted painfully as Leena's voice suddenly tore through the air in a cry of agony. Malik watched until her screaming turned silent as she could no longer catch her breath.

"Seems like that's up a little high." Malik noted. "You're not as tolerant to it as I thought you'd be."

Malik put his hand over the device again. Leena was at least able to struggle for breath once again. Malik motioned to the guards to release her and she instantly collapsed to the floor. Sam couldn't help the tears that slipped down her face as she watched Leena fail to hide the pain she was still in. Without another word Malik and the other men left.

"You're just going to leave her here?" Sam demanded.

Curled up tightly on the floor Leena began weeping bitterly. At first she tried clawing the disk off, but it held fast. As time passed her cries became weaker. Sam wasn't sure how long it took for Malik to return, an hour at least she guessed. By the time he did Leena was simply whimpering.

"I think that's enough for now." Malik commented as he snatched the floating sphere. "We've got more than we need to get Gabriel's attention." 

"Oh God..." Sam whispered in disgust. "It's a recording device."

Trembling uncontrollably Leena glared up at Malik murderous. However she obviously didn't have the strength to lash out at him. He passed his hand over the device and Leena instantly relaxed, coming close to passing out. 

"Sleep while you can." Malik chuckled.

"You're disgusting," Sam snarled "I can see why the Ancients don't want anything to do with you...and yet I doubt they're doing anything to stop you."

Malik left once more, presumably to show Gabriel the fate that Leena had fallen to. Sam knew she should have jumped forward in time long ago. She knew Leena couldn't die here, there was still more than a thousand years left to the war. However for some reason she felt that she should stay with her even though none of this was actually happening.

Sam sat down on the floor and watched as Leena finally succumb to sleep. It seemed like only minutes before Malik and his men returned. Sam realized that time had passed so quickly because Leena had been unaware of the passage of time through sleep.

Leena has some fight left in her, but not enough. Sam followed sullenly as guards took her out of the cell and down the hall. They brought her to a Gateroom that held about a dozen other men. One of them started to dial the Gate and soon the pool of light shimmered inside the ring. Another man tossed a small green sphere into the event horizon. The sphere did not pass through, it hung halfway in the pool.

"Gabriel?" Malik asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Are you there? Did you get my message?"

Gabriel suddenly appeared on the Stargate's dais. He looked around the room and then focused an infuriated glare on Malik. As Gabriel stepped closer his image flickered awkwardly, betraying him as a mere hologram.

"Malik, you worthless criminal," Gabriel roared "come through to this world and fight me yourself!" 

"I am much more comfortable here."

"Coward!" Gabriel spat in disgust. "You wouldn't face me with an Army, would you?"

"I don't have to."

Just as Sam could tell between Daniel and Gabriel in her time, she could see that the true Gabriel had now been replaced by his Goa'uld counterpart. Leena's capture and torment may have been the cost the Goa'uld had told her about that Gabriel had been unable to handle. For there was no doubt in her mind that this was the 'Gabriel' that she knew.

Malik didn't take Gabriel's bait. He waited calmly for Gabriel to end his ranting. Malik turned around and took Leena from the guards. He forced her to face Gabriel and pushed her down on her knees. The muscles in Gabriel's jaw tightened as he grit his teeth in frustration. He had no way of getting to her, physics demanded that Gate travel be one way.

"She can't even scream anymore." Malik informed icily. "She just lays there and moans pitifully."

"You will pay for this." Gabriel growled darkly. "Stop this now and I will **consider** not devoting the rest of Time to slowly killing you. Return her."

"I will if you return the knowledge that you have stolen."

"We have stolen nothing!" Gabriel cried passionately. "It was forced upon us!"

"Because of **you** creatures of all kinds are spreading across the Cha'pa'i network like a disease."

"Just because they are not of your race does not make them a disease!"

Malik reached down and grabbed a handful of Leena's long hair. He pulled back to force her to look at Gabriel. Malik passed his hand over the device over Leena's heart. Her aqua eyes instantly filled pain. She began to struggle for breath, however, she either couldn't or wouldn't cry out.

"Stop!" Gabriel cried in desperation.

"Tell your whore to fix the Cha'pa'i back to the way it was you filthy Slave!" Malik roared. 

Tears slipped down Leena's face as she started to whimper. Sam pulled out her useless weapon and put it up to Malik's temple and pulled the trigger. Even if there had been bullets in the gun it wouldn't have done anything. However the empty clicking of the weapon still gave Sam a small sense of satisfaction.

Malik deactivated the device and shoved her down onto her hands and knees. She didn't bother trying to get up. She stayed motionless except for the trembling. Malik backed away, giving the pair a moment to think over their situation. Gabriel's hologram knelt down next to Leena. He put his lips so close to her ear that his image actually over lapped her.

"Leena...there is no Law you can not defy." Gabriel whispered. "I know you can do it...I will come to you."

Leena looked up at him in confusion. She furrowed her brow in thought and suddenly her eyes lit up. Gabriel smiled and stepped away from her. Malik came over to reactivate the device that was biting into her chest. Leena looked up at him without fear.

"Stop." She practically ordered. "I'll do it...but take this off me first."

Malik hesitated for a moment, however he reached down and tore the clear machine from her flesh. Leena didn't bother with the slow leak of blood that slipped down her skin. She got to her feet and walked over to the DHD. Keeling down she slid the panel free to reveal the crystals underneath.

Sam came over and watched as Leena carefully selected a few of the crystals and rearranged them. Sam had never seen how exactly she accessed the program mode. Satisfied Leena stood back up, she placed her palm on the dome in the center of the DHD and turned her hand ninety degrees to the right, forty-five back to the left, and then slide her palm down towards herself.

Sam was still amazed by the way all of the Symbols lit up at once. Leena stared at the glowing symbols, looking like she wasn't sure how to continue. Sam knew the look in Leena's eyes well, it was the same look she herself got when she put her full concentration into something.

With new found confidence Leena started pressing the symbols in rapid succession. The Stargate itself did not react, however the dome on the DHD flickered colour patterns that Leena could obviously read. Without warning Leena slammed her palm down on the dome.

"Gabriel!" Leena cried. "Now!"

Sam looked up as the Gate suddenly reacted violently. The shimmering pool darkened, swirled counter clockwise, and then snapped back to normal. The holographic version of Gabriel had vanished, in its place the original stepped through the Gate, armed with a hand device and murderous expression. Seconds after he arrived the wormhole trembled violently and collapsed.

"Oh my God..." Sam whispered in awe "You just inverted an outgoing wormhole to an incoming one...I would love to know how to do that." 

"No!" Malik cried. "That's...that's impossible."

"Clearly not," Sam smiled coldly "you're in big trouble now." 

"Nothing is impossible." Gabriel crowed.

Sam watched the brutal scene that followed with mixed emotions. On the one hand she knew the Malik and his men really didn't deserve much in the way of mercy, but on the other hand their gory end at Gabriel's hand was nauseating. Even though he was outnumbered he ran through them like a wolf through sheep. 

Leena had spent the confrontation huddled against the shelter of the DHD. When it was over Gabriel rushed to her and gathered her into his arms. She clung to him tightly as though trying to convince herself that he was real. He rocked her gently and smoothed out her tangled hair. 

"It's alright now," Gabriel said softly "I've got you now, and I will drown this Galaxy in Ancient blood before I let them hurt you again."

"I'm beginning to see why this war lasted nearly three thousand years." Sam sighed. "But I don't see how any of this helps us now." 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Sam looked around the richly decorated temple Gateroom. She was hoping that she was getting at least somewhat closer to an answer. Even just the highlights of the past two thousand years were starting to blur into one another. The world around Gabriel and Leena changed and shifted, but they remained untouched by time. 

The pair stood now in front of an open wormhole waiting patiently. They were dressed in far fancier attire than usual. Both of them wore a bright white, Gabriel had a loose fitting outfit that reminded Sam of the clothing Daniel used to wear to Abydos. Leena's dress had a tightly laced bodice that gave way to a multi tiered skirt that hung at different levels above her bare feet. 

Off to the sides of the room stood several other Niacines, more plainly dressed, but once again in white. They also watched the Gate. It looked as though they were preparing for some sort of ceremony. Unable to do anything else Sam waited for the guest of honour.

The wormhole shivered the way it always did when someone was about to step through. Sam's breath hissed sharply across her teeth when she caught sight of Gabriel and Leena's guest. 

"Sir?" Sam asked astonished.

Sam shook her head to help her wrap her mind around the fact that this man was no more O'Neill than she was Leena. She didn't know why this had caught her off guard, for some reason she hadn't expected to see him here.

The man was younger than Jack, maybe even younger than Daniel. He was lighter in build, his features more boyish, however, his eyes glittered with the same mischief that Jack's did...even when he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Dressed in a deep blue he did not fit into the rest of the scene. No one stepped forward to greet him. He looked around the room with mild interest. He glanced at Leena, but when he turned his attention to Gabriel they locked in an aggressive stare.

Jack's counterpart walked confidently up to Gabriel, stopping about two feet away. Wordlessly they continued to glare hatefully at one another. It was clear that neither one of them had any plans for backing down, not even an inch.

"Like two dogs before a fight." Sam sighed. 

Sam briefly wondered why Gabriel had bothered to dress in white when this was obviously about to come to blood shed. The eyes that mirrored Jack's so perfectly narrowed further, and he tensed like a Lion preparing to pounce. Gabriel in return squared his shoulders.

"Ambassador Kiev." Gabriel growled darkly.

"Lord Gabriel." Kiev hissed back.

Sam held her breath, waiting for one of them to strike. To her shock it was Gabriel that cracked first. The change was almost impreceivable, the corner of his mouth twitched into a slight smile. Kiev raised his eyebrows in a 'what-are-you-smiling-at?' expression and Gabriel burst into helpless mirth.

"I win again." Kiev crowed in triumph as he slung his arm over Gabriel's shoulders.

"'_Lord'_ Gabriel'?" Gabriel repeated indignantly.

"I knew that would get you." Kiev chuckled.

Leena smiled and rolled her aqua eyes. Kiev reached out and took her hand to give it a courtly kiss. Gabriel untangled himself from under Kiev's strong arm. Sam just stared at them in confusion.

"What the hell just happened?" Sam asked annoyed.

"I hope you bring good news, my friend." Gabriel said seriously.

"Everything is set." Kiev nodded. "I just need to take a quick tour of your ship, or at least hang around long enough to pretend that I did."

"Niacine Ambassador Bela is at the High City now doing the same." Gabriel informed. "Although I trust her to actually look for weapons."

"Whatever." Kiev shrugged. "Once that's done we will be all set to meet on the Nox world. Although I don't see why they won't let us just use the Cha'pa'i to travel there...I mean our people are signing a peace Treaty."

"This is it." Sam said to herself. "This is the meeting he never makes it to."

"I believe the answer to that is the lovely creature at my side." Gabriel replied with a vulpine smile.

"Me?" Leena asked. "What do I have to do with what the Nox want?"

"The Nox are not fools, Leena, they know what you are capable of doing with the Cha'pa'i...and they are not about to risk an incident. Which is also why I agreed that you would stay here."

"I want this Treaty signed as much as anyone." Leena said defensively.

"They are just being cautious." Gabriel said. "I do not mind, I am just glad that this is going to be over."

"The war has been cold for five hundred years," Kiev agreed "more than three hundred years longer than I've been alive."

"You do not have to remind me how many years this has gone on." Gabriel sighed.

"No, of course not."

"This is an amazing step. However, I fear we still have a long way to go before our races truly unite."

"Oh, I don't know..." Kiev smiled mischievously "it might be sooner than you think."

The colour that rose to Leena's cheeks escaped Gabriel's attention, but not Sam's. Leena had yet to actually look Kiev in the eyes, and now was no exception. Sam shook her head sadly, amazed by how much things had changed, and how much things had stayed the same.

"I...I have to go." Leena said quietly. "It's wonderful to see you again, Kiev."

Leena hurriedly left the Gateroom and Sam had no choice but to follow. She had a bad feeling about all of this. It was odd enough to see 'Jack' and Gabriel being genuine friends. Although it helped her understand how he was so good at pretending to be friends with him in the present.

Sam followed along side Leena as she made her way, seemingly aimlessly, through the hallways. After a while they came to the large arched doorway that lead to the courtyard forest. It was twilight outside, but the planet's two moons were bathing the trees in a bright blue. 

Leena wandered off into the well manicured woods until she was out of sight of the house that surrounded them. There was a large tree in the center of the tiny forest that seemed to watch over the entire microcosm. Leena leaned against the tree and stared up at the larger of the two moons.

Several hours later Leena was still just watching the stars. Sam was starting to wonder if she should just try jumping a little further ahead. She still wasn't really sure how it was done. She was concentrating on the problem so fully that Kiev startled her when he suddenly stepped from the dense forest. Leena on the other hand had been exspecting him. 

Kiev walked up to her and without a word snaked his hands into Leena's hair. When Kiev leaned in to kiss her Sam suddenly decided that there was something terribly fascinating about the back of her own hand that needed studying. When she felt that they had finished, at least for the moment, she looked back up. Kiev pulled away and looked at Leena with a somewhat critical expression.

"I take it from all this clock and dagger that you still haven't told Gabriel."

"Not...um...not yet." Leena admitted.

"Leena," Kiev admonished. "if this is ever going to work we're going to have to stop sneaking around like criminals."

"I'm going to tell him."

"When?" Kiev asked with a raised eyebrow. "After we start having children?"

"I don't even know if you can mix Niacine and Ancient blood."

"Well I guess we'll just have to try," Kiev chuckled "in the name of science of course."

"Of course." Leena smiled.

"Can we save the scientific study for later?" Sam complained.

Kiev stared Leena for a long moment and then shook his head as if trying to physically rid himself of a thought. 

"Seriously, Leena, it has been three years. Your brother and I are great friends, but I have a feeling that would end very quickly if he 'found out' about us rather than being told."

"Three years is barely a day in my life. Gabriel and I see the passage of time in centuries, not years."

"You really were there, weren't you?" Kiev asked as though he didn't really believe it. "Right from the beginning, nearly three thousand years ago."

Leena simply nodded.

"That's amazing...I mean I've always fallen for older women, but this is ridi..."

"Don't you dare say another word!" Leena interrupted as she hit his arm in mock anger.

"You don't look a day over three hundred, I swear." 

"You haven't changed." Sam chuckled.

Leena shoved Kiev away playfully. He reached out and caught her around the waist. She protested weakly before accepting the embrace. Sam felt she shouldn't be watching them, but realized that she didn't have a lot of options. 

"Once the Treaty is signed and we have true peace, I'm going to tell Gabriel everything, and I am going to marry you." Leena promised. 

"Finally going to make an honest man out of me, eh?"

"More than that, I'm going to teach you secrets of stopping Time."

"What?"

"I know that we've told the world that it was something that the Ancients did to us in the Lab that has extended our lives, but that's not true. With a little bit of work anyone can do it." Leena explained. "Gabriel made me promise to never tell anyone, he feared creating an immortal race. But I know he only wants to see me happy, and I know he will give us his blessing."

"I'm surprised that you and Gabriel never raised yourselves to the level of gods." Kiev remarked in awe.

"No, never." Leena said sharply.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. It's just that I know that most of the Niacines see him as one already, and I have a hard time believing your not a Goddess myself. It might have been a good way to support your cause all these years."

"No. Nothing good can come of pretending to be a god...trust me."

"What did start the war?" Kiev asked suddenly. "Only you and Gabriel seem to truly know. Why won't you tell anyone?"

"Because those wounds have finally healed and we do not wish to reopen them."

"The Niacines weren't just slaves, were they?" Kiev pieced it together himself. "The early Ancients played the part of your gods."

"In a way they were," Leena sighed "they created us, bred us like dogs. Gabriel and I used to bare identifying tattoos in the back of our necks...we burned them out long ago. We don't even know if our blood comes from this Galaxy or another."

"I can't believe my people erased all of this from our History."

"Then you don't know your people very well." Leena snarled.

Sam could see that Leena instantly regretted her words. She flushed and pulled away from Kiev. 

"I...I'm sorry..." Leena stuttered.

"It's okay, you're right. I don't know Ancient History very well."

"The Council has been spreading their lies for so long that even they believe them now."

"Well, yes that...combined with a lack of interest."

"Haven't changed one bit." Sam smiled.

Leena was forced to smile as well. Kiev ran his hand through her hair gently. He glanced up at the larger of the two moons, seeing that it had risen high. Leena noticed the late hour herself and suddenly lost her lighthearted mood.

"I have to go." Kiev sighed. "I was due back to report hours ago, I'd hate to be the one to screw this thing up. I wish I could just give them the 'okay' and come right back, but of course I've been asked to travel to the Nox world with the Council Leader."

"When will you be back?"

"Before the ink dries on the Treaty."

"No one uses ink anymore, Kiev."

"I was trying to be romantic."

"You failed." Leena teased.

Kiev seemed to take Leena's words as a personal challenge. He backed her up against the old tree. Sam expected him to continue with his physical show of affection, but instead he just leaned in and whispered something in Leena's ear that brought her close to tears. She initiated a passionate kiss and then pushed him away so that he would be able to leave. Kiev hesitated, but he did leave. Sam sighed and smiled sadly.

"Maybe you have changed after all." 


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

"Something's wrong."

Leena paced the Gateroom like a tiger in a cage. Sam sighed, knowing that Gabriel wasn't coming back. He was probably already in the hands of his children. A man with bright blonde hair stepped quietly into the Gateroom. Leena stopped her pacing and forced a tight smile.

"Tek, thank you for coming. I need a favour."

"Anything." 

"I need you to take a ship and find Gabriel, but keep your mission a secret. I can't have the City panicking."

"They are already becoming restless." Tek admitted. 

"I know." Leena sighed. "He should have been back days ago."

"What are we going to do if something has happened to him?"

"I don't know." Leena admitted. "Which is why you must not fail...find him. I would go myself, but I must stay here in case the Ancient Council tries to contact me."

"Yes, Milady." Tek said with a bow.

Sam watched Tek leaving knowing that he'd never be successful. Leena didn't seem too confident either. She looked paralyzed with indecision. Watching her fight panic Sam couldn't help but feel sorry for her. 

Leena walked over to the DHD and stared at it. Sam figured that she wanted to dial the Nox, but feared upsetting them. Eventually Leena took a deep breath and started to dial the Gate. However before she could finish the seven Symbols the Gate interrupted her with an incoming wormhole.

With a sudden look of hope Leena watched the event horizon form. Her expression fell when a hologram of a stern looking middle aged man appeared on the Gate dais. Leena tried to hide her surprise and walked towards the hologram. When she was about five feet away she stopped cold. The Ancient was glaring at her murderously.

"Councilor Azrai...I...I was just about to contact you." Leena lied.

"I'm sure you were." Azrai growled. 

"Are you alright?" Leena asked with concern. Azrai's eyes were reddened, his usually serene expression was cold and stoic.

"I will speak only to Gabriel."

"He..." Leena hesitated. "he has not returned yet. He is good friends with the Nox and has decided to stay for a few da..."

"You will bring Gabriel before me now." Azrai hissed dangerously.

"This is not a good sign." Sam muttered.

"I told you he is not here."

"Tell him I have his treacherous friend here and see if that makes him 'reappear'!"

"W...what are you talking about?"

Although Azrai's expression remained one of rage tears brightened his green eyes. He walked past where the hologram imager could see him. Both Sam and Leena gasped audibly when Azrai returned. He dragged a batterd Kiev along with him by the collar of his torn shirt. Azrai pushed Kiev to the floor, there wasn't an inch of his skin that wasn't filthy with some combination of blood, sweat, and char. 

"Kiev!" Leena cried in shock. 

Kiev struggled to get as far as his knees. It had been a long time since Leena had seen a staff weapon burn, but she recognized it instantly. Kiev's ruined shoulder glistened with a sickening combination of blood and infection, showing that the wound was at least a few days old. Sam didn't think that Leena had noticed yet, but she saw he wore one of the clear devices Malik had used. Kiev looked up at Leena and knit his brow in confusion. 

"Leena?" Kiev asked slowly. "Azrai...please, don't bring her into this."

"I do not wish to!" Azrai roared. "I want to speak to Gabriel!"

"You will deal with me and I demand that you tell me what is happening!" Leena barked in a commanding voice. "Why are you treating your own Ambassador this way? Why haven't you tended to these wounds?"

"There is no sense in healing a man set to be executed for Treason."

"Treason?!"

"I am no traitor." Kiev growled darkly. "I have told you the truth, that is all I have to give." 

"Kiev, what is happening?" Leena asked desperately. "I don't understand."

"High Councilor Hebony, my wife, is de...dead." Azrai explained hoarsely. "Murdered."

"Hebony? No..." Leena whispered fearfully.

"And all of those who traveled with her, except this wretch!" Azrai spat. "Slaughtered by Niacines!"

"No!" Leena cried. "She was my friend!"

"We were not attacked by Niacines!" Kiev snarled angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you?!"

Azrai reached into one of the deep pockets of his robe and produced a golden Goa'uld hand device with a broken stone. Sam sighed heavily, finally understanding the mistake everyone was making. The Goa'uld must have attacked the Ancient ship as well, they were probably just starting to gain power and had gone unnoticed. In a Galaxy used to so much violence it wasn't really surprising. The Goa'uld had a perfect environment in which to grow.

Azrai threw the hand device down at Leena's feet. She instinctively reached down to pick it up, but her hand passed right through it. She studied it for a moment. Sam could see her desperately trying to figure out what was happening.

"Are you still going to cling to your lie, Kiev?" 

"They were not Niacine." Kiev stated stubbornly.

"Then who were they?" 

"I told you, I don't know!" Kiev barked. "They looked like Unas..."

"But they used weapons that only the Niacines can control!" Azrai cried angrily. "The Unas have barely tamed fire, they are a primitive race, no better than animals."

"I didn't say they were Unas." Kiev hissed. 

"This is not a Niacine weapon!" Leena exclaimed. 

"She's right," Kiev said in realization. "the material and design are different..."

"So I am to believe that another intelligent race has developed right under our noses, with technology identical to that of the Niacines?" Azrai snarled rhetorically. "Do not take me for a fool!"

"Then stop acting like one!" Kiev roared.

Azrai bared his teeth in rage. He gripped Kiev's injured shoulder and dug his fingers into the seeping burn. Kiev ground his teeth and growled quietly in pain. Determined to hear Kiev scream Azrai increased the pressure until his knuckled turned white. Kiev responded with a cry of rage more than anything else. 

"Stop! Don't hurt him, please!" Leena begged. "This doesn't make any sense, Azrai, think about it...if he was going to betray you why would he have stayed with the ship? There has to be some sort of mistake here..."

"The only mistake was us trusting your blood thirsty ruined race!" 

"Azrai..." Kiev panted "you're not thinking clearly. I'm sorry about your wife and the others...I tried to help, but we were without weapons..."

"And who arranged for that, 'Ambassador'?!" Azrai screamed in near hysterics. "You were the one to suggest a disarmament, you were the one we trusted to inspect the Niacines, you were the only one in contact with them that knew what route the ship would take, and **you** were the only survivor!"

"They thought I was dead..."

"You are."

Azrai reached down and ripped open Kiev's shirt to expose the device sunk into his skin. In a fit of rage Azrai slammed his palm down on the clear oval disk.

"Kiev!" Leena screamed.

Kiev gasped sharply as the device froze his heart. Panic flashed across his features as his system rapid started to shut down from oxygen starvation. He could still breath, but without the blood moving it did no good. Looking up at Leena Kiev forced a brave smile.

"Leena..." Kiev whispered "I'm sorry. I lov..."

Kiev did not have the strength to continue. With tears in her own eyes Sam turned away as he slipped to the cold floor. She couldn't watch the inevitable as his stagnant blood poisoned him. Leena backed away from his dead image, she tried to remain standing but ended up on her hands and knees dry heaving violently.

"There can be no peace between us!" Azrai barked remorselessly. "Your kind can never be trusted!" 

"My kind?" Leena spat as she forced herself shakily to her feet. "My kind?! I am not the one who just murdered an innocent man in the name of revenge!"

"If the Niacines wish to survive they will submit to full and unconditional Ancient rule. We can no longer risk you governing yourselves. Gabriel will hand himself over to us or you will all pay the price." 

"You have no right to make such a threat!" Leena cried passionately. Tears were streaming down her face, but she did not have time to truly cry. "You do not speak for the Council! Kiev's death was murder, not justice! You are nothing more than a criminal and I will see to it personally that the Council has you executed for this!"

"I guarantee you the Council will take my word over yours, or even Gabriel's. Assuming he has the courage to face us." Azrai hissed. "If Gabriel does not contact me in the next twenty-four hours to negotiate a surrender we will simply come and occupy your capitol city by force."

"Step foot on Idlewyld and it will be the last mistake the Ancients ever make!" Leena snarled. 

"Twenty-four hours."

With that the wormhole snapped shut. Leena stared at the empty Gate, tears still tracing silently down her face. Sam closed her own eyes against the sting of tears as Leena collapsed to the floor and cried like a lost child. Eventually she was rendered breathless and was reduced to whimpering.

Sam jumped in surprise as the Gate began to dial in once more. When the vortex snapped out Leena didn't even try to get out of the way. It seemed that only pure luck caused it to pass right over her head rather than killing her. An older man with a look of rank about him stepped from the shimmering pool. When he caught sight of Leena on the floor he rushed to her.

"Leena, what has happened?"

"I don't really know." Leena said vacantly. "Have you heard from Gabriel?"

"I...I don't know how to say this...We have found wreckage of Gabriel's ship. There...there could have been no survivors."

"Gabriel is dead?"

"I am sorry, Milady." He sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"Everything is going to be okay." Leena said softly. "Go home, bury your Cha'pa'i, tell the other Niacine worlds to do the same."

"The Ancients will still come after us."

"They have been trying to exterminate us for three thousand years, we will survive." Leena replied confidently. "Do this...trust in me."

"Always."

"Then go."

The man bowed deeply and helped Leena to her feet. She nodded to let him know that she was going to be okay. After redialing the Gate he did as he was told and left her. Leena took a deep breath and looked around the Gateroom as though seeing it for the first time. She walked over to the wall and pressed her hand against a silver disk.

"Zalin?"

"Yes?" A deep familiar voice responded.

"I need you at the Cha'pa'i."

"I am on my way."

Sam managed a sad smile as lean Niacine version of Teal'c stepped into the Gateroom. When he saw the distress in her eyes he came up and put his hands on her shoulders. Leena shrugged him off and turned to stare at the Gate. 

"Zalin," Leena said slowly "I need Idlewyld evacuated within the next five hours."

"What?" Zalin asked shocked. "What about the Peace Treaty, what about Gabriel?"

"Gabriel is dead, and we will all be next if we don't leave." Leena said calmly. "He knew this might happen."

"Yes, but I didn't think that he truly believed that it would."

"Well it has. Please, make sure everyone gets to the alternate world. It is our best kept secret, it is still out of reach of the Ancients. When you get there, bury the Cha'pa'i."

"What about you?"

"I'm staying."

"Leena, no, please...we need you."

"No." Leena said firmly. "I have fought long enough...I...I can't do it anymore."

"You are just going to let the Ancients take you?" Zalin asked in horror. 

"I assure you they will not take me alive."

"Le..."

"Not another word. Take everyone from the City and **neve**r return. Idlewlyd is forever cursed, the best thing anyone can do is forget it even existed."

Zalin thought about her words for a moment and nodded solemnly. Leena did not stay to watch the evacuation. She went to the courtyard forest, to the shelter of the ancient tree. Sitting in the shade of the tree she looked around as though truly enjoying the beauty of the forest around her.

Sam sat down and attempted to do the same. Hours later the sun was starting to set and Leena still hadn't moved. Zalin approached cautiously through the wood. He stopped a few feet away from her and waited for her to look up at him.

"The City is empty...Idlewyld is abandoned."

"Thank you Zalin."

"Please allow me to stay with you."

"No." Leena shook her head. "You have a family, they need you."

"Your family needs you as well."

"I have no family left."

"You are the mother of all the Niacines."

"A time comes when all young birds must leave the nest." Leena smiled sadly. "Now go...never return."

Zalin searched Leena's eyes and just as Gabriel had done with Sam he realized that he'd never find what he was looking for. Bowing his head in defeat Zalin turned and left. Leena waited until the moon rose high before getting to her feet.

Sam followed her as she made her way back towards the temple. She went to her bedroom and retrieved a silver dagger in an ornate sheath. Sam recognized it as a gift from Gabriel during one of her many flashbacks. She did not blame Leena for being suicidal.

"I guess you're not responsible for the Plague after all." Sam sighed. "I've failed here...I've learned nothing."

Sam fully expected Leena to either slit her wrists or sink the dagger into her heart. However she did neither of these things. Taking the knife with her she traveled once more through the temple, back to the Gateroom. Taking the panel off the DHD she began to rearrange the crystals inside. 

"Leena..." Sam asked nervously. "What are you doing?"

The top of the DHD light up brilliantly and the dome pulsed a deep blue. Leena stared at the Symbols for a few minutes. She held her hand over a Symbol and hesitated. Looking back to the empty floor where she had watched Kiev die she pressed it with obvious resolve. 

Sam watched Leena's every move for an hour, desperately trying to memorize everything she was doing. However the combination of Symbols she pressed quickly rose into the hundreds. The dome on the DHD suddenly stopped flicking its colours and turned a solid green.

"Leena...whatever you're doing, please stop." Sam asked uselessly.

Drawing out the dagger Leena gripped the sharp blade in one hand and purposefully sliced her palm open with it. She waited until there was a pool of blood in her hand. Without hesitation she slammed her palm down of the dome. The Gate sprung to life. It did not dial, and there was no vortex, however an event horizon materialized.

Sam watched in horror as the shimmering blue pool started to swirl with red, like blood dripping into the ocean. The gory gate pulsed with a heartbeat of its own. As quickly as it had happened the red retreated and the event horizon returned to its healthy blue hue before disappearing. Leena walked up into the Gate and stared into gap with a look of determination etched into her face.

"You want revenge?" Leena hissed to the empty Gate. "Come and get me...I'll show you revenge." 


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-one

Sam woke without opening her eyes, trying to control a pulse pounding headache. Thankfully the pain quickly began to fade like morning fog evaporating in the sun. She was finding it difficult to orient herself, although the cold feeling between her shoulder blades made her suspect that she was laying on the stone floor of the Lab.

"Jack you _promised_!"

The desperation in Daniel's voice snapped Sam's eyes open. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked around. It took her a second to figure out the scene. Daniel was a few feet away, on his knees visibly trembling with the strength it was taking to keep Gabriel at bay. Jack stood with his sidearm ready to fire, but unwilling to do so.

"At least give that wretched snake control so I can shoot 'him' instead of 'you'."

"No." Daniel replied firmly. "Jack, please, I want to die as myself."

"Da..."

"Do it!" Daniel roared. "This trick isn't going to hold Gabriel for long and I may never get this chance again."

Jack was motionless for a second and then simply nodded. He adjusted his aim and closed his eyes. Daniel faced his execution without fear.

"Wait!" Sam cried.

Without thinking Sam leapt to her feet to stop the inevitable blood shed. Pulling on Jack's arm she redirected his aim. Already on the edge of his nerves Jack instinctively pulled the trigger and the weapon cracked sharply.

Jack and Sam stared at each other motionlessly, as though Time itself had frozen. As Sam's initial shock gave way to an icy pain her expression degraded into one of fear. Jack seemed locked in a state of numb confusion. It was until she started to fall that he was able to drop the gun to reach out and catch her.

"Carter...Carter!"

Sam couldn't respond, she was having trouble enough as it was just breathing. Jack gently laid her down on the cold floor. He tore open her lightweight jacket to get a better idea of where exactly the injury was. The small entry wound lay just below her ribs on right side.

The deep red blood that bordered on black betrayed the fact that the bullet had torn through the hepatic vein of her liver. Shot at point blank range it had easily passed through and it was the exit wound that had done a majority of the damage.

Not knowing what else to do Jack pressed his palm against the seeping injury. Sam cried out weakly. Unable to catch her breath she could barely manage anything above a whimper. She reached up and Jack gave her his free hand. She gripped his hand tightly and fought to regain at least some of her composure.

"It's...it's the Gate." Sam panted. "The Idlewyld Gate is a trap...she...she didn't mean for it to spread...it was meant to protect Idle..."

"Carter...stay with me."

Sam managed a smile, but she was starting to shiver from the effects of hypovolemic shock. Jack's mind raced with options, none of which included looking up to see what Daniel was doing. The realization of having shot Carter himself was clouding his thinking.

While Sam fought to hang on to life Daniel was struggling to end his own. The gun that Jack had dropped had clattered across the floor and ended up within his reach. However, he didn't have complete control over Gabriel. He could keep Gabriel from taking over, and had control of his own voice. Battling for control Gabriel couldn't force Daniel to move, but he could keep him still. Together they effectively had one another in a paralyzing stalemate.

_'Daniel, I can save her! Please!' _Gabriel cried desperately in Daniel's mind. _'I can save her! Let me go! Daniel, let me go!'_

"She a Goa'uld," Daniel spat coldly "she can save herself."

Although even as Daniel said the words he was finding them hard to believe. Tears slid from the corners of Sam's eyes as her breathing became increasingly shallow.

_'No!' _Gabriel flooded Daniel's mind with the memory of how Sam came to disguise herself. _'Let me go...'_

"That's just a trick!" Daniel cried in terrified indecision.

_'No, I swear! I love her! She doesn't love me, but I love her and I can't let her die because she trusted me! Please, let me go and after I will leave you forever!'_

Daniel didn't know what to think or what to do, and time was not on his side. If he let Gabriel go now he'd be completely at his mercy, quite possibly forever. He'd have a loaded weapon, Jack would be completely defenseless, and worst of all Gabriel would have the Galaxygate and the means to use it. Even if he did heal Sam she may just end up his prisoner.

As if reminding Daniel that time was a factor Sam started to audibly gasp for breath as her heart tried to beat against a quickly lowering tide.

"Carter!" Jack cried desperately.

_"Daniel!"_

Unable to just watch Sam die Daniel gave in. Gabriel was not expecting Daniel to suddenly stop fighting. He cried out in pain as he was violently thrown into control. An overwhelming nausea that he'd never experienced before washed over him and he had to fight hard just to keep from blacking out.

Putting his discomfort aside Gabriel scrambled over to Jack and Sam. Adrenaline was making his motions uncoordinated, but he managed to get the small healing device out of his pocket. At first Jack wouldn't take his hand away from heavily bleeding wound.

"I only want to help...I can't possibly do any more harm."

Jack glared defiantly at Gabriel, however, when Sam spasmodically increased her grip on his hand he nodded and allowed the Goa'uld to take over. At first he couldn't get the device to work, he was shaking too hard. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to relax and concentrate on the Naquadah he'd placed in Daniel's blood.

This time the device reacted. The small healing device was not designed to heal such massively traumatic wounds, but he was determined to make it work. Sweat started to drip from Gabriel's hair with the effort it was taking to reverse the damage. Slowly Carter's shallow breathing began to take a more natural rhythm. Gabriel pulled away and sat back as Sam took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"Carter?" Jack asked nervously. "Are you alright?"

"You're right...that question does get annoying."

"Would you mind answering it anyway?"

"I'm fine."

Although she didn't need assistance, Jack helped her to sit up. He drew her into a grateful embrace. She accepted the comfort, needing a moment to recollect herself. Everything had happened so fast and no matter how many times she came close to death it was still unnerving.

Sam pulled away from Jack and flashed him a reassuring smile. She turned and was about to thank Gabriel for saving her. However when she saw the look of abject horror on his face she found herself speechless.

Gabriel was staring down at Daniel's hands as if he'd never seen them before. He slowed balled them into fists and released them again. Sam and Jack both jolted in surprise as Gabriel suddenly wailed in animalistic terror.

He tried to get to his feet, but fell back to the dirty floor. Gabriel scrambled back until his back was pressed hard against the broken aquarium. Shaking violently he ran his hands through Daniel's hair compulsively. Jack got to his feet and retrieved his weapon. Sam got up as well, and once again she redirected his aim. This time being careful to push the gun away from everyone.

"Carter, who is this?!" Jack demanded.

"Gabriel." Sam answered confidently. "But give us a second to exspla..."

"I...I can't move!" Gabriel cried in alarm.

"Yes you can!" Jack snarled. "And if you don't stay stil..."

"No, I mean **I** can't move, something's happened, something's wrong." Gabriel struggled for breath and clawed at the back of his neck. "Daniel! Daniel, what have you done? Wake up! Please!"

"Gabriel, calm down." Sam said softly as she approached him.

"Screw that!" Jack snapped. "Let Daniel go! Now!"

To Sam it looked like Gabriel would like nothing better than to be able to follow Jack's orders. He weld his eyes shut and opened them several times, but nothing happened, he was still there.

"If you don't release him in five seconds I am going to kill you!" Jack roared.

"It's no longer a question of me letting Daniel go," Gabriel whispered in horror "if anything it's the other way around."

"What?"

"I...I think we've switched places."

"Oh for crying out loud..."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-two 

"Before you ask," Jack said as he stepped away from the shimmering Gate and into Idlewyld "no, I'm not fine. In fact I feel awful again."

"Leena must have set the Gate to give off some sort of radiation or vibration that effects the metabolism, hence the fever which eventually leads to death. Some Niacine gene must act a blocker."

"Right...um...why did she do this?"

"She didn't want anyone who wasn't a Niacine to come to this city."

"Killing off the rest of the Galaxy seems a bit, oh, I don't know...what's the word I'm looking for here? Excessive...over kill...insane..."

"She didn't mean to, the program she wrote mixed with another one that had allowed her to reset all the Gates to allow non-Ancients to use the Gates. She realized what happened, but was killed before she could do anything about it."

"So what did stop it?" Jack asked. "I mean, something must have or else the Gates would have always been dangerous."

"I don't know." Sam admitted. "However, I have a theory that Rea'beka and her Ancient gene retriggered the program when she came here."

"So...what now?"

"I'm not really sure." Sam glanced over her shoulder at the Gate. "My suggestion is that you take Teal'c back to the SGC and recover your health, Gabriel and I will work on finding this program so we can reverse or erase it."

"What about Daniel?"

"I really hate to say this...but I think we need to deal with one problem at a time."

"When it rains, it pours."

"Well before the storm gets any worse you and Teal'c should really go."

"Are you sure you want to be left alone with Snake-boy?" Jack asked seriously.

Sam glanced at Gabriel, but clearly he hadn't been paying attention to them. He had other things on his mind. When he went to step down off the Stargate dais he misjudged the step. With a yelp of surprise he tripped down the three stairs. Staying on the floor he rolled over onto his back. Crossing his arms over his chest in frustration he just stared up at the ceiling.

"I think I can handle him." Sam chuckled.

Sam walked over to Gabriel and looked down on him. He just continued to stare up at the vaulted marble ceiling above. He had an indignant look about him.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"This is impossible." Gabriel muttered darkly.

"It's just one foot in front of the other." Jack said as he hopped down the stairs effortlessly.

"Easy for you to say."

"Why are you having such trouble with your coordination?" Sam asked.

"I used to have access to Daniel's instincts to help me. I've never actually 'walked' before."

"Pulling the strings is a lot easier than being the puppet, eh?" Jack mocked coldly.

Gabriel said nothing. Sam offered her his hand to help him back up. He gratefully accepted the assistance. He stood with his feet awkwardly spread apart to try and increase his questionable stability. Jack eyed him suspiciously, but Gabriel didn't notice. He was too busy trying to keep from falling victim to gravity again.

"Alright, Kids, standing around isn't getting us any closer to getting this over with." Jack announced. "I'm going to go get Teal'c, might as well take Rea'beka with me as well. I'd suggest that you two make yourselves scarce so that Teal'c doesn't get the chance to kill you."

Sam nodded. Without asking she slipped under Gabriel's arm to help him out of the Gateroom. Gabriel flashed her a grateful smile. Jack narrowed his eyes at the way Carter smiled back. 

"All right you three," Jack said to remind her that Daniel was still around "get this Gate fixed so we can get this nightmare over with."

"Thank you." Gabriel said meekly to Jack.

"For what?"

"For continuing to allow me to help, for trusting me."

"I don't." Jack said bluntly. "Personally I'd rather remove Daniel surgically and let him live in the fish tank in his office, and chain you to a wall somewhere while we figured out a way to get rid of you and put Daniel back where he belongs."

"Sir..." Sam started.

"But since Carter here seems to think that's a bad idea, we're going to do things her way...for now."

"Believe me, I'd like nothing more than to be able to get back into my own body." Gabriel said honestly. "Jack, what more..."

"Don't call me 'Jack'."

Gabriel sighed in defeat and allowed Sam to lead him out of the Gateroom to the lab that they had set up. He was slowly getting the hang of walking, at least on even ground. Sam never really thought about how much unconscious thought went into walking. Every muscle had to contract and relax at just the right time for everything to run smoothly.

Gabriel flopped down on the futon. He sat up straight and looked around at the equipment. He turned his attention to Sam and once again a bright smile lit up his, or rather Daniel's, face. Sam looked around as well, but mainly so she didn't have to try and think of something to say. The silence was starting to become uncomfortable when they were distracted by the sounds of the Gate dialing out. 

"You should really get some sleep before getting too wrapped up in the Gate problem."

"I'm not tired." Sam lied.

"Neither am I."

The uncomfortable silence managed to slip back into the room and settle over them. Sam shifted her weight uncomfortably. Eventually Gabriel struggled to his feet. When he took an awkward step forward Sam instinctively took one back. Gabriel seemed devastated by the way she had recoiled. 

"I'm sor..." Sam started to apologize.

"You know...I...I always knew." Gabriel said quietly.

"Knew what?"

"About Kiev." Gabriel smiled sadly. "I knew from the first day you two met. I was insanely jealous, but I never did anything to stop you."

"Why not?"

"I just wanted to see you happy."

"If that was true you should have told **her**" Sam stressed the word "that you knew."

"And spoil the romance?" Gabriel chuckled. "Forbidden fruit is never as sweet once you've been given permission to taste it."

Sam hated herself for flushing. Her cheeks burned even redder when Gabriel laughed at her. 

"Why are you telling me this?" Sam demanded.

"I thought it might help you trust me."

"What would help even more would be if you promised to do everything in your power to get Daniel back to the way he was."

"I will admit that when this all started I never had any intention of letting Daniel go." Gabriel sighed. "I desperately wanted the knowledge he carries, imagine the good I could bring to this Galaxy with it. I figured I could easily make up for taking his life. But all that's changed."

"Why? Why has that changed?"

"Because I now owe him a favour."

"A favour?" Sam asked in surprise.

"He had me cornered and trapped when you were dying. I couldn't do anything, it was worse than any torment that I've ever suffered. I'm not sure how he did it, but I need his permission to take control, and he honestly believe he'd never get it back. He risked his own soul to allow me a chance to save you...I can never repay him, but giving him his life back is a good start."

"Do you think you can do it?"

"Honestly, I don't kno..." Gabriel stopped suddenly.

"Gabriel?"

"Sam..." Gabriel gasped.

Sam stepped closer as Gabriel's eyes filled with fear. Welding his eyes shut he shook his head and started to rub at his temples. Sam jumped as Gabriel suddenly wailed in pain. Trying to control himself he grit his teeth and started breathing heavily.

"Gab..."

"Daniel!" Gabriel cried breathlessly. "Stop, please!"

Gabriel dropped to his knees with a blood cuddling shriek. He pitched forward onto his hands and knees. Cradling his head in his hands he cried out incoherently. The horrific sound chilled Sam's blood. She instantly knelt down next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Gabriel?" 

"Stop...stop!" Gabriel moaned plaintively. "Daniel, please, I didn't do this...please..."

"What's happening?!" Sam asked in alarm.

Gabriel managed to look up at Sam. Sweat was already drenching his hair as he began trembling.

"Daniel's awake..." Gabriel panted "he...he's panicking...you're going to kill us!"

Gabriel cried out again, tears staining his face. Sam instinctively drew him into a comforting embrace and rocked him gently. Gabriel wept bitterly as his whole frame trembled uncontrollably. Sam held him as she would an inconsolable child and he continued to cry like one. She pressed her hand against the back of his neck and could feel Daniel thrashing beneath the skin.

"Daniel...if you can hear me, please calm down." Sam whispered softly in his ear. "You're hurting Gabriel terribly, and I know it's not in your nature to let anyone suffer. Everything is going to be alright. We know where you are and we're going to figure this out...trust me."

Sam wasn't sure if Daniel had truly heard her, however, Gabriel slowly stopped shaking. He drew a few deep shuddering breaths before pulling away from Sam and sitting back. He dragged the back of Daniel's sleeve across his face to try and rub off the salty tears.

"I...I had no idea how intense pain is." Gabriel whimpered.

"Goa'uld don't feel pain?" Sam asked surprised.

"Not like this." Gabriel winced again. "I never knew that it was different, but I guess it makes sense. All of a host's sensations are channeled to us, but we experience them differently. For a Goa'uld their host's pain translates more into an emotion than a physical feeling. It is far from pleasant, and we avoid it at all costs, but it's nothing compared to this."

Gabriel raked his hands through Daniel's wet hair compulsively. He looked around the room frantically, clearly fearing that the pain would return at any moment. Sam sighed sadly.

"I...I'm sure Daniel wasn't hurting you on purpose."

"No, he wasn't." Gabriel agreed with a slight nod. "He...he has passed out once more."

"What happened?"

"He simply doesn't know how to be a Goa'uld any better than I know how to be Human."

"Is there anyway to help him?"

"No. He will either figure it out, or die trying."

"If Daniel dies as a symbiot...as host you'll die as well."

"I deserve no better."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter twenty-three

"Alright, Carter," Sam grumbled to herself "starting thinking about this logically. The answer has to be here, it was stopped once, it can be done again." 

Sam hovered her fingers over the keyboard of her laptop trying to figure out her next move. She was sitting on the floor in front of the Gate with her computer linked up directly to its systems. She had a complete diagnostic of Earth's Gate sent through and had been comparing it to the Idlewyld Gate for hours.

"The Gates can't be the same, there has to be something you're missing here." She continued to mutter to herself. "How can the Gate on Earth 'spread' the program, but not execute it?"

Sam couldn't answer that question. It didn't make any sense to her. It was clear that the SGC's Gate could infect another world, SG-7 had painfully proven that. Yet at the same time after returning to the Base Teal'c and General O'Neill had found quick relief from their symptoms. Which had returned with a vengeance when they'd stepped back through to Idlewyld.

"If I could just find the signal."

That was another mystery that had gotten under Sam's skin and was currently wriggling around. She was convinced that the affliction must be some form of vibration, sound, or possibly a radiation that a person needed constant exposure to in order to be affected. However either she was wrong about that, or she simply didn't have the right equipment to detect it. 

"I hate to admit this, Gabriel, but I'm running out of ideas." Sam sighed. "...Gabriel?"

Having not received an answer Sam looked up from her screen. Gabriel had been working on the other end of the Gate. However the laptop and its accessories lay abandoned on the floor. Turning around Sam spied him and quickly got to her feet. Gabriel had crawled, literally, off the Stargate dais. Down on his hands and knees he was cautiously making his way towards the wall.

"Gabriel?" Sam asked again. "What are you doing?"

Sam still didn't get a response. Coming to the wall he started to feel along it until he decided on a direction of travel. Still on his knees and keeping both palms flat on the wall he awkwardly started to move off to the left. Sam stepped right up behind him, but still got no reaction.

Concerned Sam reached down and put her hand on his shoulder. He yelped in fearful surprise. Scrambling to his feet he whipped around and backed up against the wall. Breathing heavily he looked around frantically with his eyes oddly focused into the distance.

"Daniel?" Sam asked.

"Who's there?!" Daniel demanded as he put his hands up defensively.

"Daniel, it's alright..."

"Sam?" Daniel asked in surprise. "You're alive, you're okay? I...I can barely hear you."

"I'm fine." 

"Jack, Teal'c..."

"They're safe too." Sam smiled. "They're back at the SGC."

"Where are we?" Daniel asked as he looked around vacantly. 

"We're in the Gateroom at Idlewyld...you don't recognize it?"

"Sam, I...I'm blind."

_'You're not blind, Daniel, you just don't know how to see.'_

"Gabriel?"

_'I'm here.' _Gabriel's voice echoed in Daniel's mind.

"Daniel, give me your hand." Sam offered. "I'll take you over to the steps by the Gate we can sit down."

_'Before we fall down...again.'_

Ignoring Gabriel Daniel held out his hand and Sam took it. She stood beside him with her free hand on his lower back and guided him over to the stairs. His motions weren't as uncoordinated as Gabriel's lately, however he had some difficultly sitting down at the top of the steps. He looked around again as though it would help return his sight, for all she knew it might.

"What is going on?" 

_'We seem to ha...'_

"I was talking to Sam." Daniel snarled. 

_'Sor...' _ Gabriel started but then his voice was suddenly gone.

"You and Gabriel have...um...switched places." Sam explained.

"That part I figured out. It's very..." Daniel searched for the right word "'different' being a Goa'uld, I can't say that I like it."

"Gabriel hasn't been enjoying playing host either." 

"Serves him right, but we'll save that discussion for later." Daniel said sourly. "What I don't understand is how we all ended up in the Ancient Lab again."

Sam hesitated to answer. She had almost been hoping that he would be more curious about his current situation than what had happened in his absents, but she realized that she should have known better. She also knew that Daniel deserved the truth.

"I'm sorry, Daniel." Sam said honestly.

"For what?"

"I had no right to put you and General O'Neill in the position you found yourselves in." 

"No right?" Daniel repeated. "Wait...you knew it wasn't me. You really can tell."

Sam nodded before she realized that Daniel couldn't see the gesture. "Yes, I can. I don't know why, it just seems obvious to me. I lied to General O'Neill, told him Gabriel was you and that the trip was something you agreed to." 

"Sam..." Daniel began to admonish.

"Daniel, I couldn't think of any other way. Gabriel wouldn't let you go because he feared that you'd kill me, and General O'Neill would have never agreed to any of it if he knew for a second that you were being held against your will. He'll probably have me shot for Treason if he ever finds out."

Daniel's angry expression softened. He shook his head sadly, knowing that she had only been doing what she thought was right. Sam smiled, seeing she at least had his forgiveness. Daniel's expression suddenly changed once again to confusion.

"Daniel?"

"I still don't understand...you were a Goa'uld."

"No, I just sound like one." Sam replied in her new vibrato voice. "Gabriel really did teach me that trick." 

"Please don't do that." Daniel cringed.

"Sorry." Sam apologized in her own voice. "If I was a Goa'uld you would be able to sense it."

"I didn't really have time for 'sensing', particularly when I didn't know what I was looking for."

"Fair enough."

Daniel seemed to slip back into thought. Sam guessed that he was talking with Gabriel. She had no way of knowing that Daniel had progressed to the point where he could silence his new host. Daniel wasn't sure if Gabriel could still hear what was happening, but he didn't care. He was just enjoying having his thoughts to himself again. 

"You took an obscene risk trusting Gabriel with the Galaxygate." Daniel scolded suddenly.

"Daniel, half my job is risk assessment." Sam said seriously. 

"The other half is taking those risks?" 

"You got it."

Daniel was forced to smile. He was a little annoyed by his inability to stay angry at her. 

"I wasn't getting anywhere on my own." Sam admitted. "I had to try something else. Gabriel felt strongly that a look into my past life as Leena might help us unravel this."

"Was he right?"

Sam didn't reply right away. She looked over at the equipment spread out all around the Stargate, none of which had proven to be useful. What upset her the most was that she could feel that the answer was right in front of her, she just couldn't see it.

"Sam?"

"Yes and no." Sam sighed heavily.

"Care to explain?"

"Well, Leena did start this. She didn't want to really hurt anyone, she just wanted to protect Idlewyld. However she had written another program long ago that acts like an infection."

"An infection?"

"Any Gate that the original dialed to got uploaded with the new program, which at the time was one that allowed non-Niacines to use the Gate. Well it mixed with this protection program set to force the Gate into giving off something that affects non-Niacines, killing them if they are exposed too long."

"So when Rea'beka triggered this Gate," Daniel reasoned "she brought it to the next Gate and then any Gate they transferred to would be infected as well."

"Exactly. There's just one...well maybe not just 'one', but there is one **main** thing I can't figure out."

"What's that?"

"Why does the SGC's gate spread the program without affecting people?" Sam asked rhetorically. "Right now my best theory is that the dampeners we placed on the Gate to keep it from shaking the SGC apart are affecting it somehow. Although I can't detect any vibration coming from this Gate."

Despite still being in the dark Daniel looked around. Sam could see the concentration that had spread across his features. She couldn't keep herself from wondering why sight was so much harder for Daniel to tap into, or if it was something Gabriel was keeping from him to retain at least some measure of control. Sam shook her head to clear the distrustful thought.

"Sam?" Daniel asked to echo locate.

"I'm still here." Sam said reassuringly.

"It's not the Stargate."

"Daniel, it has to be."

"No." Daniel shook his head stubbornly. "Sam, it's the Crystals."

"...in the DHD..." Sam breathed in realization.

"Something Earth doesn't have." Daniel continued. "The program may be in the Stargate somewhere, but I'm willing to bet it's causing the Crystals to do something they shouldn't be."

"Daniel, you're amazing." Sam beamed. She made a noise of indignant frustration. "I can't believe I didn't think of that. It was right in front of me."

"When you're looking at the elephant in the room it can be hard to notice the mouse sitting in the corner." Daniel chuckled.

"Well then it's a good thing I have a blind man on my side to help me see." 


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

"Jack, you'd better not be waving your hand in front of my face."

"Of course not." Jack said as he quickly took his hand away. "So you really are blind...not just your usual myopic self?"

Daniel rolled his sightless eyes, not about to grace Jack with an answer. He turned his ears towards Sam where he could hear her still messing with the Crystals under the DHD. She had pulled the main power core out and Jack was spending some time in Idlewyld to see if Daniel's theory was correct.

"How's Teal'c doing?" Daniel asked while they waited.

"He's fine." Jack answered vaguely.

"I take it he still wants to kill me?"

"Um...well, he said he'd be on his best behaviour if I let him come, but I kind of got the feeling that you'd be safer if he stayed at the Base."

"Teal'c said 'on his best behaviour'?" Daniel asked skeptically.

"Well maybe he didn't use those exact words." Jack admitted. "Actually, he didn't use any words, he just kind of gave me that disapproving look when I asked him if he'd throttle you on sight."

"I've seen that look, it can mean almost anything."

"And that's exactly why he isn't here with us now."

Daniel sighed heavily, once again worrying that he'd never repair his friendship with the stoic Jaffa. Sam finished what she was doing and joined the pair. Daniel was fascinated by the fact that he could sense where she was by the Naquadah in her blood. He smiled as she gently cleared her throat to let him know where she was anyway.

"Is it fixed?" Jack asked.

"No." Sam admitted. "I...uh...wasn't actually trying to 'fix' it yet."

"Well don't you think you should start thinking about doing that?" Jack suggested.

"I need to figure out exactly what's wrong first." Sam said defensively. "Trying to fix it now would be like trying to perform surgery without knowing which organ you were working on."

"Ouch." Jack winched.

"Daniel," Sam hesitated "Gabriel doesn't have any ideas does he?"

"No." Daniel said icily.

"He can still talk to you?" Jack asked.

"No."

"What?" Sam asked shocked.

"I have him suppressed the way he had me trapped." Daniel said without remorse. "It wasn't easy, and if I release him, I may never be able to do it again."

"Then don't." Jack said quickly. "If you could just get your sight back everything would be back to normal...or at least close enough."

"I'd rather never see again than let him go." Daniel said firmly. "Although I'm sure in time I will figure this out."

"Well then," Jack smiled brightly "at least that's one problem solved."

"Sir?" Sam said in shock.

"Carter?" Jack asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I...I just didn't think that Daniel would want to stay like this."

"I don't have much choice, Sam." Daniel replied. "If I let him out eventually he'll take control again, he's not the helpless 'host' he claims to be."

"Serves that slimy snake right anyway." Jack growled. 

"Daniel, I think I may still need Gabriel's help."

"He no longer has access to the knowledge of the Ancients, he's no more qualified to help you than I am."

"Carter, we're not risking Daniel to that back stabbing parasite again. Need I remind you that he impersonated Daniel for two days and nearly got him and you killed. He can't be trusted and I have every faith that you and Daniel can figure it out on your own."

"Yes, Sir."

Daniel noted the submissive defeat in Sam's tone. It was painfully obvious to him that she didn't want Gabriel's help, she wanted to help him. Daniel didn't blame her, after all she and Gabriel had been through a lot together and it was Sam's nature to see the good in everyone. However it didn't change Daniel's decision, nothing she could ever say would make him trust the Father of the Goa'uld.

"Okay, what's our next move?" Jack asked.

"Assuming that you're still feeling okay..." Sam started.

"I am."

"Okay, now we know for a fact that it is the Crystals." Sam continued. "I'm going to have to place the power source back in so that I can run some tests on it to see what's going on."

"Which means you need to go back." Daniel pointed out needlessly.

"I'll stick around until I start to sweat."

Daniel could hear Sam taking a breath to say something more. However she clearly thought better of it. He felt her walking back over to the DHD. The power source clinked into position and the DHD hummed as it rebooted. 

Once the Crystal was in place Jack gasped sharply. Daniel instinctively reached out and awkwardly caught Jack as he started to lose his balance. The heat that suddenly radiated off his skin was shocking, like stepping out of an air-conditioned building into the desert sun.

"Sam!" Daniel cried. "Dial home, Jack needs to get out of here!"

The Gate sprang to life before Daniel had even finished his sentence. After getting the full sequence into the Gate Sam pulled on the back of Daniel's shirt to get him to back away from the coming vortex. By the time the wormhole established Jack was struggling for breath in Daniel's arms.

"Sam, help him through. I don't trust myself to go back."

"Alright, I'll be back. I need some other equipment anyway."

"I'm okay." Jack muttered weakly. "Just point me in the right direction."

Daniel felt Sam slipping in to take Jack from him. Even though he couldn't see he could feel the difference when they were gone. The wormhole nosily snapped shut and Daniel found himself alone in the dark. The isolated feeling didn't last nearly long enough.

_'You're a clever little fox, Danny.'_ Gabriel's annoyed voice suddenly rang out.

"Clearly not clever enough." Daniel sighed.

_'If you hadn't been so concerned for O'Neill I wouldn't have managed to wake. What happened?'_

"I'm not telling you anything until you give me my sight back."

_'I didn't take it from you.'_

"I don't believe you." Daniel snarled. "I can move, speak, touch, hear, taste...why can't I see?"

_'Because Goa'uld are blind by nature, so vision is more difficult for them to process.' _Gabriel replied defensively. _'Our tiny eyes only detected light and dark. That 'squealing' as you put it that we do is a form of sonar. You could try it out if you left this body.'_

"No thank you." Daniel snapped. "I'm comfortably where I am...sort of." 

_'It was just a joke, Daniel.'_

Daniel growled in frustration. He was in no mood for jokes. Closing his eyes he concentrated on once again silencing Gabriel. _'I'm not going to let you suppress me like that again.' _Gabriel informed him. _'I will fight you for control if I have to. But I am willing to be a passive observer and guide.'_

"I don't want a guide!" Daniel cried angrily.

_"Are you sure? I can see even if you can't." _Gabriel said calmly._ 'I'll show you. Turn around.'_

Daniel grit his teeth, but he did turn around.

_'Take five steps forward, three to the right.' _Gabriel directed. _'You're now in front of the DHD.'_

Daniel reached out and touched the familiar dialing device. 

"Great...my own internal seeing eye dog."

_'We'd better get used to working together like this, Daniel.'_ Gabriel said seriously. _'It could be years before you learn how to see on your own.'_

Daniel sighed in defeat. He raked his hands through his hair and then briefly tried to suppress Gabriel again. However it quickly became clear that Gabriel had developed counter measures.

"Okay," Daniel said suddenly "let's make a deal. I really can't live like this. So let's just switch back, fix the DHD, and go our separate ways. You promised me you'd let me go if I let you help Sam."

_'I did.' _Gabriel agreed. _'And I would. I hate being Human...but I don't think we can switch.'_

"What?!" Daniel exclaimed. "This has to be reversible!"

_'It is, but I don't think we can do it.'_

"Why not?"

_'Because we'd both have to let go of all our fear and mistrust.'_

"I can do that." Daniel said honestly. "If that's what it takes I can do it, I'll find a way."

_'I...I don't think I can.'_ Gabriel admitted weakly._ 'I have a fear that I don't think I can ever overcome, one that you can not comprehend."_

"What could you possibly have to fear?"

_"I'm afraid of dying, Daniel."_

"And you think I'm not?" Daniel snarled.

_"At least you know there is something more for you. Ascension or rebirth, you will live on. I have no such guarantee.'_

"I don't understand."

_'Daniel, my 'intelligence' was created in a Lab. Before the Ancients got their hands on me I was little more than an animal. For all I know I don't even have a Soul. My 'personality' I learned it all from Gabriel, my sense of right and wrong, my passion for the Niacine people, my love of life...it all came from the person you used to be. Without Gabriel I would have been just as evil as my children.'_

"This is the real reason you wanted me to host you." Daniel growled darkly. "You think you belong here."

_'I do.'_

"No!"

_'Daniel, none of that matters now.' _Gabriel said with a mental shrug. _'We are stuck like this because I don't trust you.'_

"You don't trust me?" Daniel managed to laugh. "That's rich."

_'If we switch back, you will tell Jack, and he will have me forcibly removed and I will die in the process...a horrible death at that. Don't think for one second that I didn't see Osiris's fate in your memories.'_

Daniel groaned and rubbed at his temples. He never thought that he'd ever feel guilty for anything that happened to a Goa'uld, but he had to admit that the surgery to remove Osiris had been gruesome. 

"I...uh...I don't suppose I could promise not to let that happen to you?" Daniel asked. "That I'd give you a chance to leave on your own."

_'No more than I could promise you that I wouldn't take control and run away.'_

"Yeah, in my heart I'd never truly believe that."

_'Which is why we will never be separated.'_

Daniel sat down on the cold marble floor and leaned against the DHD. For a while he tried to put his trust into Gabriel, but there were too many years of hate for the Goa'uld standing in his way. 

"You know your plan is flawed." Daniel mused out loud. "If we stay like this you are still going to die, eventually I will be killed or I will simply grow old and die naturally."

_'I will never allow that to happen.'_

"You can't stop Time."

_'Yes I can.' _Gabriel said confidently. _'It is not the powers of the symbiot that hold the true secret to sustaining life indefinitely, it is the Naquadah. I taught Leena, I could teach Samantha, and I can do it to you.'_

"Without my permission?"

_'If I must.'_

Daniel pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head in his crossed arms. The thought of living forever, carrying his memories of his life forever, was suddenly more frightening than death. 

Although he had no memories of Ascension, something had always told him that he'd been miserable there. He often cursed himself for not taking his second chance at forgetting and working so hard to remember everything.

_'Daniel?' _Gabriel asked concerned.

"Gabriel...I don't want to live forever."

_'I'm sorry, Daniel, but eventually you are going to have to accept the fact that this has always been your Fate...'_

"...and there is no escaping Fate."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-five

Sam stood under the harsh spray of the locker-room shower, thoroughly enjoying the guilty pleasure of the hot water. The combination of sweat and dried blood that had been caked to her skin had started to offend more than just her sense of smell. 

As much as she hated leaving Daniel alone in the dark, she knew that ten minutes in the shower was going to go a long way to help prevent a nervous breakdown later. She leaned forward against the cool tile and let the near scalding water slip down her back.

She tried to mentally will the straining muscles of her neck and shoulders to relax. However they remained stretched tight as steel cables. Sam growled at herself in frustration. It was Daniel's decision to do what he felt was best where Gabriel was concerned, after all it was his body and life that were at stake. 

She couldn't blame him for mistrusting Gabriel, but at the same time she couldn't believe he was going to let the Gou'ald fall to the very same fate that he feared so much. Sam rubbed her hand across her stomach where the bullet had torn through. The skin was smooth and intact, however it still hurt, just for a different reason.

The guilt that was twisting her stomach was a struggle of heart over mind, something she'd never been good at dealing with. Her heart wanted to believe that Gabriel was different than his children and that if he still had possession of his own body that he'd let Daniel go. 

At the same time her mind was telling her that all of it could be a show and although she suspected Gabriel was a good person she knew for a fact that Daniel was. It seemed like such a grievous betrayal of her friend to be on the side of the Gou'ald on the mere 'feeling' that he was innocent and didn't deserve to be imprisoned.

From the time she got General O'Neill safely back to the Base until this moment Sam had been going over in her head a way to approach Daniel and ask him to let Gabriel go, to at least try and live with him. However she now realized that such a request was asking far more of Daniel than she had any right to ask.

"I'm sorry, Gabriel," Sam sighed "I can't help you." 

Reluctantly Sam reached out and turned off the running water. It hadn't helped nearly as much as she'd hoped. Drying off quickly she slipped into a clean uniform. Sam took a deep breath and reoriented her mind to the problem at hand. 

"Entire worlds are dying and you're wasting your energy on the fate of a single Gou'ald."

With a new mind set Sam made her way purposefully to the Gateroom. Along the way Teal'c suddenly stood in her path. She stopped and only barely managed to keep herself from taking a step back, reminding herself that he was still her friend. He stood motionless for a moment and then gave her a shallow bow.

"Colonel Carter, you are returning to the planet?"

"Yeah."

"May I ask a favour of you?"

"Of course."

"Please ask Daniel Jackson to forgive me. I have not treated him as I should have."

"He understands, I know he does." Sam said with a smile. "Besides you can ask him yourself soon."

Teal'c remained silent, but it spoke volumes.

"Teal'c he's going to come back." Sam said confidently.

"If he was going to return he would have come with you and General O'Neill."

"He didn't want to come to the Base while Gabriel was still somewhere in his mind. Once he feels comfortable with his new situation he'll come back."

"Gabriel will never leave, and therefore Daniel Jackson will never return."

Sam started to protest, however, Teal'c signaled that their conversation was over by turning around and walking away. She hated it when the Jaffa was right. Suppressed or not Daniel was never going to trust himself as long as Gabriel was with him. 

"One problem at a time." Sam growled.

Finishing the trek to the Gateroom she instructed the technicians to open the Gate. She checked over the equipment she had asked them to bring down while the Gate dialed. Satisfied that everything was there she started up the ramp.

"Leaving without saying good bye?" Jack asked as he stepped into the Gateroom.

"Why does everyone keep acting like Daniel and I aren't coming back?" Sam snapped as she turned around.

"Easy, Carter." Jack said with his hands held up in surrender. "I just wanted a chance to wish you luck."

"Thank you, Sir." Sam replied with a flush of embarrassment. 

"And I have every confidence that you and Daniel will be back." Jack said seriously. "After all you know what they say?"

Sam gave Jack a quizzical look.

"If you truly love something set it free..." 

"...and if it doesn't come back, hunt it down and shoot it." Sam finished with a chuckle.

"And I intend to."

"Let's hope it doesn't come down to that."

Jack smiled and nodded. As though she was about to miss her train in a 1930's film Sam picked up the two metal cases that held her equipment and hurried through the Gate. Back in Idlewyld Sam found Daniel basically where and how she left him. 

Getting up off the floor Daniel walked somewhat confidently towards her. Coming to the stairs he paused and then cautiously stepped up on to the Gate dais. Sam watched in fascination as he came up and stopped a few feet in front of her. His eyes still looked as though he was looking right through her.

"I was beginning to think that you were going to leave us here." Daniel chastised lightly. 

"Daniel...can you see?"

"No, but Gabriel can."

"Gabriel?"

"I'd love to be able to say that I was a gentleman and let him go, but the truth is I simply lost my hold on him. I have to admit he's being more gracious about it than I would have been."

"I don't understand."

"He's giving me directions. Here, let me help you with those cases."

"No, that's okay, they aren't heavy." Sam replied and then furrowed her brow. "So...um, you two have come to some sort of truce?" 

"I wouldn't call it a truce, more of an understanding."

"And that would be?"

"That there are bigger problems than he and I to deal with here."

"Then let's get started." Sam said with a genuine smile.

"Sounds good...no pun intended." 

Sam chuckled, relived to have the good natured Daniel back. Even though she knew that they would start fighting again as soon as this was over it helped tremendously that they were both willing to put their differences aside for now. 

Sam took the cases over to the DHD and Daniel followed her, pausing only to navigate his way down the stairs. She pulled the panel off the DHD once again and looked in at the Crystals. They sat their glowing innocently. It took about an hour to get the various sensors and computers set up to the multi coloured Crystals.

"Hmmm..." Sam mused.

"Hmmm?" Daniel repeated.

"Well, it's definitely the main power Crystal. It's giving off an odd vibration that seems to be getting slowly stronger."

"Which is why the disease seems to 'spread out' from the Gate."

"Right."

"Can you stop it?"

"Um...maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Did I say 'maybe' out loud?" Sam asked vacantly.

"Yup."

"Ah, I meant to say 'no'."

"I see."

"I know you hate it when I ask this," Sam started "but I don't suppose Gabriel has any ideas?"

"He says 'You're the Gate expert here'." Daniel smiled.

"Great."

"He wants to know if you've found the program that Leena wrote."

"No." Sam sighed. "There is so much information in this thing that it's hard to find a program without at least some knowledge of what it is."

"No." Daniel said suddenly.

"What?" Sam asked confused.

"Forget it, there has to be a better way." Daniel growled.

"Daniel, what is Gabriel saying?"

"He says..." Daniel hesitated. "He thinks that you do know the program."

"I watched Leena write it." Sam recalled.

Daniel nodded.

"But I'll need help to remember it." Sam continued. "Ask Gabriel if there are any of those Niacine memory disks around here."

"It will take more than that." Daniel said nervously. "To find something so specific it will take someone else using a hand device as well."

"You can do it." Sam replied instantly.

"I don't know how."

"Gabriel does."

"That doesn't help." Daniel sighed. "We can no longer exchange control."

"What?"

"I had decided that he would be more useful to you in figuring this out than I would be so I tried to relinquish my hold on him completely. But we couldn't get it to work. I don't know how to undo what I've done."

"Can't Gabriel tell you how?"

"He's been trying, but it's like trying to teach someone how to fall asleep. We seem to be stuck like this."

"There's something you're not telling me, Daniel." Sam accused.

Daniel looked around the room sightlessly. Facing Sam once more he sighed and dragged his hands through his hair. Sam risked reaching out and putting her hand on his shoulder. He jerked slightly, but then forced a tight smile. 

"Gabriel thinks that the hand device is a far easier trick than changing control and that it is something he could teach me. He thinks together we might be able to pull it off, then he'd be able to see the program as well and he might be able to reverse it."

"Okay then, let's do it."

"I...I really don't think I can."

"Sure you can."

"I don't think you fully comprehend what's at stake here."

"Of course I do."

"Sam, if Gabriel and I don't get this right...we could kill you."

"I know," Sam smiled "but that won't happen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I trust you to get it right."

"Both of us?"

"Both of you."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-six

"This is a bad idea."

"Come on, Daniel, I used a hand device once." Sam said as she fixed her disk in place. "I don't recall it being that difficult."

"Yeah, but you were using it as weapon." Daniel countered. "It's like saying you know how to use a scalpel because you stabbed somebody with one."

_'A little confidence on your part would be helpful, Daniel.' _Gabriel sighed. _'Despite the brave words she's as nervous as you are, and I'm sure your little analogy didn't help.' _

"Sorry." Daniel apologized to them both.

Wearing the Niacine hand device felt odd. He had expected the metal to be cold against his skin, however it seemed to radiate a slight heat. He rubbed the disk at his temple compulsively. It made him nervous to have it there, but Gabriel assured him that it was set only to receive what they were going to try to get from Sam. 

_'Don't touch it.' _Gabriel warned. _'The last thing we need is you accidentally activating the disk.'_

"I can't do this." Daniel repeated for the tenth time.

_'Yes you can.' _Gabriel assured. _'I taught you how once before.'_

"You taught 'Gabriel'." Daniel protested.

_'Same difference, I'm sure you'll catch on quicker this time.'_

"How long did it take last time?" 

_'That's...um...not important.'_

"How long?" Daniel demanded.

_'Just under half a century.'_

"You've got to be kidding." Daniel snarled. "This is insane."

"Daniel?" Sam asked nervously.

"I'm sorry, Sam. Gabriel and I were...discussing this." Daniel replied. "I don't think I can do it. I'm too afraid that I'm going to hurt you."

"I'll let you know if you're hurting me and you can just stop. Right?"

Daniel nodded, but still didn't look too confident. Sam smiled sadly and reached out to brush the back of her hand against his cheek. Gabriel must have warned him this time that she was about to touch him because he didn't jerk away. 

"All in a days work, Daniel."

"We need new jobs, Sam."

"Help me save the Galaxy one last time and I'll talk to the General about getting you a nice desk job, you can sit around, translate stuff, and watch your fish."

"I can't translate blind," Daniel mutter morosely "and my fish are probably all dead by now."

"They're fine, we hired an aquarium service to take care of them while you were away."

"You're kidding?" Daniel managed to smile. 

"No, but we are paying them by the day, so the sooner..."

"Sam, you really want to do this?" Daniel asked seriously.

"It's our best option, Daniel." Sam repeated. "Millions are dying, billions will follow."

"Alright, no more stalling then."

"That's the sprit."

_'Close your eyes.' _Gabriel instructed.

"Does it really matter?"

_'It matters to me.' _Gabriel growled impatiently. _'Now are you going to pay attention or not?'_

Rather than answer Daniel simply did as he was told and closed his eyes. He listened intently to Gabriel's detailed instructions. Gabriel had him test his control of the device without placing it near Sam first. As much as he hated to admit it the device was not as difficult to control as he thought it would be. Sensing Daniel's new found confidence Gabriel gave him a few last instructions.

"Sam, Gabriel wants me to put my free hand on your neck so that he can monitor your pulse, is that alright?"

"That's fine."

Daniel held up his hand, Sam took it and guided him so that his finger tips rested against her carotid artery. She wished that her heart wasn't pounding so hard against Daniel's hand. She decided that it was probably best that she follow his lead and close her eyes as well.

Sam gasped sharply as Daniel activated the stone in his hand. It didn't feel like a Gou'ald hand device. Although not painful it certainly wasn't pleasant either. Sam decided to risk opening her eyes and instantly regretted it.

"No..." Sam whispered in horror.

Sam reached out and touched the wall in front of her. It felt real. She looked around the tiny doorless room. The entire prison was constructed of small interconnecting block. The unmistakable blocks of a replicator ship.

"Daniel! Gabriel!" Sam cried desperately. "Stop! Please, get me out of here! I...I can't go through this again!"

Adrenaline started to wash through her system as she felt herself losing touch with the fact that this was only a memory. With every breath the fear became more tangible and the nightmare became more of a reality.

A nauseating wave of pain dropped Sam to her knees and removed all thoughts of rescue by Daniel and Gabriel from her mind. When the pain slowly ebbed away Sam looked up at her tormentor. The human replicator Fifth lorded over her with an expression of cold rage etched into his ivory features. 

"Stop!" Sam cried. "Please!"

"Why should I?" Fifth snarled icily.

"You can't change what happened. Is...is this making you feel better?!" Sam spat defiantly. "I never meant to abandon you!"

"But you did. You gained my trust, used me, and then left me behind."

"It wasn't my decision." Sam whimpered.

"You could have come back for me."

"There was no time."

"Time?!" Fifth roared. "Thanks to what you did I had plenty of time...to think about what a fool I was!"

"I'm sorry." Sam whispered as tears streaked down her face. "I'm sorry for what we did to you."

"Yes," Fifth growled darkly as he knelt down beside her "you are now."

"Part of being human is having compassion...learning to forgive."

"Yes, I'm not quite there yet." Fifth hissed. "I need more...time."

Sam broke into tears again, hoping it would satisfy Fifth's lust for revenge. When he reached out to touch her she reflexively jerked away. Fifth ran his cold fingers through Sam's hair with a suddenly gentle caress. He slipped his hand under her jaw and guided her to look up at him.

Fifth's expression had changed to one of indecision. Praying that she had finally started to get through to the replicator Sam forced a smile. It was not the right decision. Fifth could see the lie in her eyes and it only served to renew his almost child-like rage.

With terrifying strength Fifth dragged Sam to her feet and pushed her up against the metallic wall. He pinned her against the blocks of his 'brethren' with his own liquid metal body. Sam fought to push him away, however her fingers simply sank into his flesh and became imprisoned there. 

"Fifth, plea..."

Sam was cut off as Fifth clawed vengefully into her mind. Not even attempting to hide her pain she wailed in anguish. It was like he had poured molten silver down her spine. However it wasn't the physical pain that tore at her sanity, it was the overwhelming emotion of grief that he forced into her heart. Sam cried out for mercy, but received none. It wasn't until she was on the verge of blacking out that he released her.

Lacking the strength to remain standing Sam collapsed heavily to the floor. Shaking uncontrollably she pulled her knees up to her chest in a deliberate attempt to show Fifth what he was doing to her. It still felt as though he has hand wrapped around her heart, crushing it with the power of pure emotion.

"Do you understand yet how much pain your betrayal caused me?!" Fifth spat.

"Y...you're just a machine..." Sam panted "you know no more of pain than you do love."

"That's where you are wrong..." Fifth whispered. He knelt down and once again ran his fingers into her hair with a compassionate touch. "I loved something once."

"Did you destroy it?" Sam hissed fearlessly. "Because destruction seems to be all replicators understand."

"Humans are no better."

Sam weld her eyes shut and braced herself against Fifth's inevitable retaliation. Something told her this was wrong, that this wasn't happening. There was another voice, she could hear it, but she couldn't understand the words.

"Sam...Sam I'm so sorry, I was trying to stop..."

"Stay away from me!" Sam cried hysterically. "It wasn't my fault! Please, Fifth, stop!"

Trembling almost as violently as Sam Daniel reached up and ripped the disk away from his temple. He shook the hand device off, unwilling to touch it with his other hand. He reached out blindly to try and help Sam take her disk off as well. However he recoiled when she split the still Gateroom air with a heart rendering cry.

"No! Fifth, don't do this to me!"

"Gabriel! Help me, what do I do?"

_'You need to get that disk off of her and fast. It's warping her perception of reality. I'm sorry, this is my fault, I had no idea she had such a powerfully violent memory.'_

"Sam, it's Daniel, please, give me your hand...I want to help you."

_'It's not working, Daniel. She's terrified, she thinks you're Fifth.' _Gabriel informed sadly. _'She's backing away from you, you're going to have to grab her.'_

"Where is she?"

_'Three feet in front of you, she's just getting to her feet...don't let her run.'_

Daniel jumped to his feet and lashed out to catch her. He knew instantly that he failed to get a proper hold on her. Rather than pulling away Sam grabbed Daniel, sunk her nails into his shoulder and brought her knee up into his stomach. Knocked breathless Daniel was not able to keep his grip on her as she twisted away from him.

_'Daniel! Get up, you have to catch her.'_

Daniel scrambled up once again. He could sense her distance from him by the Naquadah in her blood, but it didn't give him a idea of direction or of the obstacles in his way. Getting out of the Gateroom and into the hall was the most difficult part, from there it became somewhat easier to follow Gabriel's direction. 

Running in the dark was so much like a nightmare that Daniel quickly became disoriented in the unfamiliar halls of the Idlewyld temple. He didn't know how much time he had until Sam lost her sanity completely, but he feared that there wasn't enough time in the world for him to catch her like this. 

_'Left!'_ Gabriel barked. _'Left!'_

Distracted by his thought's he hadn't heard Gabriel the first time. Daniel turned sharply and was instantly knocked back to the floor as he ran into the marble wall. Sitting up he shook his head, trying to clear it.

_'Um...your other 'left', Daniel.'_

"Ow."

_'Get up, she just turned out of my sight, we'll never find her if we lose track of her.'  
_  
Daniel scrambled to his feet and ran in what he believed was the right direction. He hadn't made it very far when something caught his foot and brought him back down to the cold floor. Growling in helpless frustration he kicked himself free and got back up. Completely turned around he hesitated.

"Gabriel, which way?"

_'I...I'm not really sure. Turn around.' _Gabriel instructed. _'Watch out for...'_

The ground seemed to fall out from under Daniel and he found himself on his hands and knees again.

_'...the step.'_

"Gabriel, this isn't working." Daniel growled in frustration. "If we're going to save Sam, we have to switch back."

_'Da...'_

"I promise on my life that I won't let them remove you forcibly. I promise!"

_'I believe you...'_

"What do we do?"

_'The same thing as last time...fight against me and then let go. Just make sure you surrender completely.'_

"If I don't?"

_'There's no telling what will happen...this is new for me too Daniel.'_

"Right."

It was instinctive for Daniel to strain against Gabriel when he tried once more to take control. Letting him actually do so wasn't as easy. Daniel tried to recall exactly how it had happened in the first place and suddenly everything went truly black.

"Sam!" Gabriel called.

Gabriel was not surprised when he didn't get an answer. He could sense the Naquadah in her system far more accurately than Daniel could, but it still didn't give him a sense of direction. At least he could tell that she had stopped running.

"Where would you hide?" 

Feeling that he had a pretty good idea of where she would go Gabriel headed off in a run. Knowing all of the temple's short cuts he quickly came to the over grown courtyard. Diving into the tangled forest he made his way to the immense oak tree that lay at its heart.

The tree had died long ago, however the massive trunk still stood, petrified into stone long ago. He smiled sadly at the sight of Sam curled up at the base of the decayed tree shivering. Approaching quietly he knelt down and managed to remove the disk and placed it in his pocket. Sam gasped sharply and struggled to sit up. She looked around frantically until she caught sight of Gabriel.

"Daniel?"

Sam didn't wait for an answer. She threw herself into his protective embrace and wept bitterly against his chest. Gabriel smoothed out her hair and waited for her to begin to calm herself.

"It's okay, you're safe." Gabriel whispered. "We didn't mean for that to happen."

"I...I know." 

"Can you stand?"

Sam didn't even try, she just shook her head. Gabriel collected her in his arms like she was a sleeping child and lifted her up. Sam didn't even notice the ease with which Gabriel navigated through the forest and back into the temple.

He brought her back to the Gateroom and placed her on the floor. She managed to sit up, but was having a hard time focusing. It wasn't until Gabriel retrieved the fallen hand device that she noticed the icy feeling crawling across her skin. He picked up the discarded disk and secured it at his temple and then slipped the hand device on with practiced grace. 

"Daniel?" Sam asked confused. "What are you doing?"

"We still don't have an answer, but we are very close."

"You're not Daniel." Sam acused as she forced herself to her feet.

"No." Gabriel admitted. "I won't make the same mistake he made."

"Gabriel...no, please." Sam protested weakly. "Just, just give me a minute..."

"It will be so much easier if we do this now, if we wait too long we'll just have to go through it all over again. Such a powerful memory will be difficult to get around, it will take skill and be far easier when you're too tired to fight."

"Gabriel, please, let me talk to Daniel first."

"I'm sorry...I can't allow that."

"What?"

Sam tried to back away from Gabriel, but he was too quick. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He was right, she was far too exhausted to fight against him. She didn't even manage to stay conscious after the quick flash of pain of Gabriel pressing the disk into her skin.

To Sam it felt like only seconds passed before she was awake again. She laid motionless on the floor not daring to open her eyes. It was the familiar sound of the Gate spinning that forced her to sit up and look around.

Gabriel hadn't noticed her wake, he was too busy with the DHD. He had the program mode open the way that Leena had and he furrowed his brow in concentration as he pressed the Symbols in rapid succession. Suddenly the whole DHD lit and then darkened.

Sam followed Gabriel's line of sight and watched the Gate with him. As before an event horizon materialized without the violence of the usual vortex. The blood red colour poured from the chevrons, staining the pool. This time instead of flowing back into the Gate the colour swirled until the horizon was clean. Without further ado the wormhole snapped shut.

Sam released a breath that she hadn't even known she was holding. Gabriel noticed the sound and turned his attention in her direction. He smiled, but did not approach. 

She noticed with alarm that he had the hand device hanging from Daniel's belt. Wordlessly he turned his attention once again back to the DHD. To Sam's eye he dialed an unfamiliar, yet all too ordinary Address into it and the Gate slowly started to spin.

"Gabriel..." 

"It has been an honour to work with you, Samantha Carter...and a joy to see you once more. I only wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"Gabriel," Sam said nervously "what are you doing?"

"I fixed the Cha'pa'i. All you need to do is have this Gate dial all the others to spread the program."

"And is that what you're doing now?"

"No." Gabriel admitted. "You can handle that, you've done it before."

"You're leaving..."

"I have to."

"You could have switched back at any time." Sam accused angrily. "You just didn't want to."

"No, I really did need Daniel backed into a corner."

"I think he was at that point long before any of this." Sam snarled. "You just didn't want to go back to the way things were. You're more vulnerable this way."

"You're right, you usually are. I was hoping that he'd get the answer from you, I honestly never believed that anyone could have tormented you the way the replicator did. I would have never let Daniel try if I had known."

"You lied to us."

"I did what I felt I needed to do. I have no regrets. I kept my promise and fixed the Gate, even though my Niacine children would have survived. I save both yours and Jack's life twice...not to mention the countless lives that would have fallen to your program."

"That doesn't give you any right to take Daniel."

"Then you'd better stop me."

The vortex snapped out at them and settled into a peaceful blue glow. Gabriel turned around and walked slowly towards the open Gate. Sam tried to get to her feet, but didn't have the strength. She fought momentarily with the strap that held her sidearm secure. Freeing it she flicked off the safety and cocked the weapon noisily. Gabriel paused, but he didn't turn around.

"Gabriel, don't make me do this...stop!"

"Why should I?"

Gabriel continued and stepped up to the shimmering event horizon. Sam didn't have time to simply wound him, if he took one more step she'd have to aim to kill. With a deliberate defiance Gabriel took the fatal step closer to vanishing forever. 

Gritting her teeth Sam aimed for the back of his neck, weld her eyes shut, and pulled the trigger.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-seven

**click**

Sam snapped her eyes open at the impotent sound of the weapon. She ripped the cartridge out of the gun, even though she'd knew what she was going to see. Gabriel had emptied the gun once again. His musical laugh grated against Sam's overwrought nerves. He turned to face her and pulled a handful of rounds out of his pocket, letting them fall to the floor.

"I can't believe you fell for that trick twice." Gabriel chuckled.

"Damn it, Gabriel!" Sam spat venomously.

"You Humans should really start thinking about creating some weapons that aren't so easily rendered useless."

Gabriel ducked as Sam threw the heavy gun at him. It passed over him and disappeared into the still open worm hole. He stood back up and smiled brightly, further enraging Sam. She fought bitterly to get to her feet, but her muscles simply would not respond. Defeated she bowed her head and stared at the marble floor.

"Sam..."

"Just go!" Sam cried angrily. 

"Sam, I'm not going anywhere." Gabriel said gently. "I made a promise to Daniel, and I intend to keep it."

"W...what?"

Gabriel smiled sadly. Turning around he raised his hand towards the Gate and in response the wormhole snapped shut. He walked over and knelt down in front of her with a suddenly serious expression on his face.

"I had to know." 

"Know what?"

"If you'd really see us both dead before letting me take him."

"You had to know the answer to that."

"I suspected it, which is why I disarmed your weapon." Gabriel managed a slight smile. "But I didn't know for a fact."

"And now you do?"

"You know Daniel better than anyone."

"That's where you're wrong, there's someone who knows Daniel far better than I do." Sam growled.

"Who?"

"Daniel."

"What?"

"Gabriel, what is wrong with you?" Sam spat. "This decision isn't mine to make...it's Daniel's. If you want permission to stay, ask **him**!"

"I have every intention of doing so."

"Then what the hell was all of this about?!" Sam growled.

"Part of me wanted to get an idea of his answer first. I knew you were the best way to get it. You would have only shot at me if you truly believed that Daniel felt that he would be better off dead...something Jack didn't believe. The other part of me...just wanted to see the look on your face."

"What look?" Sam asked as she glared at him indignantly.

"That one." Gabriel chuckled.

Sam did not find Gabriel's attempt at humour entertaining in the slightest. She ground her teeth together. She lashed out and slapped him with as much force as she could manage. Still smiling Gabriel rubbed the back of his hand against his cheek where she'd struck him.

"I deserved that." Gabriel admitted.

"You deserve far worse." Sam hissed.

"Oh come on, Sam, admit it."

"Admit what?"

Gabriel stood up suddenly. He reached down and easily lifted Sam up to her feet. She tried to push away, however with his arms wrapped low around her waist he held her close. Sam leaned as far back as she could as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"That you're going to miss me." Gabriel finally replied.

"Maybe." Sam finally smiled.

"That's all I wanted to hear." Gabriel sighed as a tear slipped from his blue eyes. "Till we meet again, Samantha Carter."

"Good-bye, Gabriel."

He forced on last smile and then rolled his eyes back. Daniel shook his head, clearly having a bit of trouble with the latest transition. He looked at Sam with his brow furrowed in thought. His eyes were finally focusing the way they should. He looked around the Gateroom and breathed a sigh of relief.

Sam just waited for him to get reoriented. Daniel seemed to suddenly realize that he had Sam captive and released her. Sam instantly started to fall, forcing Daniel to catch her and hold her up again. He flushed slightly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was keeping you standing."

"It's been a rough day."

"Tell me about it." Daniel rolled his eyes. He paused for a moment and then sighed. "I didn't mean that literally, Gabriel. You what? You're kidding...Sam, is the Gate really fixed?"

"I believe so."

"And did you really try to shoot me?"

Sam nodded.

"You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for." 

Sam smiled once more. She pushed against Daniel letting him know that she felt she could try standing on her own. He released her slowly and when he was confident that she wasn't going to fall he took a step back.

"Where do we go from here?" Daniel asked suddenly.

"I figure I'll call General O'Neill here, spread the program..."

"I'm sorry, Sam," Daniel interrupted "I was talking to Gabriel."

"Oh, right." Sam nodded. "What does he say?"

"That he'll keep his promise."

"It's about time." Sam forced a smile.

"He says you still have some work to do?"

"Yeah."

"Can you handle it alone?"

"Of course." Sam said confidently. "You should go and put Gabriel back in the urn. I'll be alright out here."

"Thanks...for everything."

"Anytime."

Daniel smiled. He looked around the Gateroom and then started to make his way to the room where all of this had started. The marble table still held the golden urn with its bluish solution. It felt like it had been years since he'd been here, but he realized it hadn't even been a week. He walked over to the table and sat down on it.

_'Daniel...'_

"What?" Daniel asked when Gabriel didn't continue.

_'You know what I'm going to ask.'_

"Gabriel...you can't stay."

_'You still mistrust me?'_

"It's not that, I just want to be my own person."

_'You realize exactly what I'm offering you, right?'_ Gabriel continued. _'We could continue your work, hunt down the rest of my Children and remove their stain from the Galaxy. We'd have all the power of the Ancients and the Niacines at our disposal to help us truly bring peace. There are whole worlds right now that have been devastated by this Plague that need help. In time we might even manage to unite all of the scattered Children of the Tau'ri. I'm offering you the life of meaning that you've always wanted."_

Daniel didn't respond right away. He could feel that Gabriel was respecting his privacy and not tapping into his thoughts or trying to influence them. However it didn't really help him make any decisions.

"Jack will never allow me to return to the SGC with you."

_'Don't lie to me, Daniel. We both know you have your doubts on whether or not you even want to go back...with or without me.'_

"Gabriel..."

_'Need I remind you? 'I didn't ask what we could do for him,'' _Stenson's voice suddenly echoed in Daniel's mind_ "'I asked what we were going to do about him.'.'_

Daniel closed his eyes against the memory and shook his head.

_'They were going to let you die, Daniel.' _Gabriel pressed. _'After taking you and letting you suffer for a month your own people were going to let you die just to save their own careers. How can you want to return to that? They betrayed you far more than I ever have.'  
_  
"Ga..."

_'What's worse is if they have just told you what was at stake...if they had just __**asked**__ you to help Rea'beka find a cure for this Plague, we both know you would have done it willingly. And I know how hurt you are that they didn't even think of it. How can you ever trust them, when they don't even trust you. You've given them everything, they've repaid you with betrayal.'  
_  
"I'm not going to pretend that I have my reservations about going back. But there is a big difference between not returning to the SGC and remaining blended with you."

_'I understand. I'm going to leave you with one final thought, Daniel,' _Gabriel said seriously _'I'm going to leave so that you can make this decision without me here in your mind influencing you.'_

"And that thought is?"

_'Sha're is out there...we could find her.'_

"What?" Daniel asked shocked.

_'It may take hundreds of years, but she will have started a new life by now and will continue to do so. We could find her, I wouldn't even be surprised if we were Fated to do so.'  
_  
"What do you mean?"  
_  
'I found you and 'Leena' again...purely by chance. I can't imagine that Fate would keep you and Sha're apart forever. After all, this life was not your first meeting.'_

"You knew Sha're before?"

_'Remember me telling you that Gabriel couldn't take the costs of war?'_

"She was that cost?" Daniel asked in horror.

_'Her and many others that day." _Gabriel confirmed. _"The weapon on Dakar, the one Sam used to destroy the replicators, it was originally built to hunt Gabriel and I.'_

"No." Daniel shook his head "No, they wouldn't destroy an entire plant to kill one man."  
_  
'You were more than a 'man' to them at the time, Daniel. You were tearing apart their way of life and they'd been trying to kill you for generations.'_

"So they randomly started erasing the life off planets?" Daniel snarled.

_'No. They got Intel on a meeting on one of the starter Niacine worlds where you were going to be, but Sha're, who you knew as Tal'la, went in your place.'_

"Why?"

_'You asked her to.'_ Gabriel said simply. _'You had just learned that Leena was in trouble and you went to save her, you asked Tal'la to go to the meeting in your place.'_

"And the Ancients destroyed the entire planet?"

_'There was nothing left but sand.' _Gabriel sighed. _'Even the Ancients were horrified by what they had done. But by that time it was too late to change it.'_

"Like Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Daniel sighed.

_"The guilt of it was more than Gabriel could handle, on top of that he had not yet been successful in helping Leena, he didn't even know where she was. It looked for all the world like he had lost them both.'_

"What happened to Leena?"

_'I saved her.'_

"Why should I believe any of what you're saying or promising?" Daniel asked suddenly.

_'I don't have to give you a reason...you know it's all true.'_

Daniel didn't get a chance to reply further. He gasped sharply as slipped from the back of his neck. With the grace of a viper Gabriel made his own way into the golden urn. He swam a few circles and then settled down on the bottom.

Daniel wasn't sure how long he sat staring at Gabriel in slightly blue water of the urn. It could have been seconds, it could just as easily have been hours. The only thing that broke him out of his trance was Jack's arrival. Jack didn't enter the room, he just stood in the archway.

"I see he left."

"Yeah."

"That's good."

"Yeah." Daniel repeated hollowly.

Jack shifted his weight uncomfortably. He hadn't been exactly sure what state he was going to find Daniel in, but this was not what he was expecting at all. He seemed so lost in thought, to the point where he hadn't even turned around to look at him yet. 

"Come on, Daniel, grab your 'pet' and let's go."

"He wants to stay." Daniel answered vacantly.

"Even better," Jack said cheerfully "leave him here and let's go." 

"I mean he wants to stay with me." 

"Then shoot him and let's go."

"Jack." Daniel admonished.

"Daniel." Jack countered.

The pair just stared at one another for a while. Jack finally sighed and leaned up against the doorway. Seeing that Daniel was having trouble with this decision he thought carefully about what to say.

"Daniel, if you let that snake back into your head you are not welcome back at the SGC or even Earth for that matter...ever."

"I know..."

"And you're still thinking of choosing him over us?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"It always is with you, Daniel." Jack sighed.

"Can...can you give me some time to think about it?" Daniel asked.

"It's your life Daniel...take all the time you need." 


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-eight

Gabriel was shocked to find himself back in Daniel's mind. Not because he thought that there had been no hope of him accepting the offer, but because he could sense already that Daniel had decided to refuse it. Gabriel had never thought that Daniel would actually risk hosting him once more just to explain why he was saying no. 

_'Daniel?'_

"I'm sorry, Gabriel." Daniel said honestly. "I can not be your host."

_'So despite everthing you are going back to the Tau'ri?'_

"I may have been betrayed, but not by my friends." Daniel explained. "They never once gave up on me, and my place is with them."

_'I understand, and I envy such loyalty.' _Gabriel replied._ 'May I ask one last favour before I go?'_

"As long as it doesn't involve molesting Sam." 

_'No.' _Gabriel chuckled._ 'No, this is more serious. I want you to take me back to the Lab, back to stasis."_

"Why?"

_'I will never be happy living with the Tok'ra, from what I have learned of them through you they are not my kind of people.'_

"No, they really aren't." Daniel agreed.

_'I'd rather sleep in the Lab where I was born. Who knows, a few lifetimes from now you might change your mind.'_

"I can certainly do that for you." Daniel said with a smile. "But I think I have a better idea."

_'A better idea?' _Gabriel asked confused. _'You've learned to shield your thoughts from me...'_

"I have." 

_'So what is this solutions of yours?'_

"I have to ask someone if it's okay first."

_'Do you wish me to leave while you do so?'_

"No, all I ask is that you hear me out while I ask before answering yourself."

Gabriel agreed to the terms silently . Daniel left the room and started to prowl the halls. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. 

Although free Rea'beka was still in the room where they had been holding her. She was sitting up on the deep stone cut window ledge staring out at the plume of smoke rising from where the natives were burning their dead. 

Tears streaked down her face unchecked until Daniel made his presence known with a gentle sound. Rea'beka jumped off the ledge in surprise. She wiped her tears away hastily and cast her eyes about as though looking for an escape. 

"Daniel..." Rea'beka said nervously. "I...I..."

"It's okay, I'm not here to yell at you."

"Do have you to thank for letting me go?"

"Not really," Daniel shrugged "we were only holding you because I was convinced that you were a carrier. You really haven't done anything wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" Rea'beka repeated incredulously. "Millions of people have died!"

"That doesn't make you a murderer." Daniel smiled sadly. "If I had been the one to find the tablet...I would have come here as well."

"And what of pain I caused you?"

"That I'm still a little angry about, but I'll get over it."

"You're a good man Daniel Jackson, and I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"Well, I'm not really here to give it to you." Daniel admitted. "I came with a proposal."

"A proposal?"

"I want to ask you to be host to Gabriel."

"What?!" Rea'beka exclaimed.

"We both know you can't go home, there wouldn't be anything for you there at the moment even if you did...other than possiable jail time for using the Gate when you shouldn't have. Gabriel can teach you everything you've ever wanted to know about the history of the Niacine people. Together you could rebuild Idlewyld, it won't take long for the people of your home world to forget you, for you'll out live anyone who holds anything against you. Nearly all of the surviors here are Niacine already. You could bring the Niacines culture back to Idlewyld. And the SGC will help you get started."

"Y...you will?"

"It's what we do."

Rea'beka said nothing. Tears slipped from her green eyes once again, but they didn't hold the same look of sorrow as before. She searched Daniel's eyes as if looking for some hidden trap, but she found none

"I...I think I would like that." . She smiled shyly and nodded.

"Gabriel? ...He agrees as well." Daniel informed Rea'beka.

"So...how...how do we do this?"

Daniel listened to Gabriel for a moment and then winced. Rea'beka watched him nervously but said nothing.

"Do I have to?" Daniel complained out loud. "...fine."

Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. Rea'beka was too stunned by all that was happening to move away from him as he approached. Daniel slipped his hand under her jaw and guided her to look up at him. With one last look of resignation he pulled her into a deep kiss. 

Rea'beka gripped Daniel's arm tight as Gabriel slid down her throat and burrowed his way into her neck. Daniel released her and stepped back. He spat violently and rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth.

"For the record, that was not my idea." Daniel announced.

"I can hear you." Rea'beka said suddenly in awe. "Oh, I'll ask. Daniel, Gabriel wishes to talk to you one last time and wants to know if he can take control to do so or if you'd rather have me relay."

"That decision is yours."

"He already asked me and I said 'yes', he just wants to make sure it is alright with you as well."

"It is."

Rea'beka nodded. She closed her eyes and when they opened again it was clear that Gabriel was looking out. He smiled brightly at Daniel and chuckled. 

"Even after all these years," Gabriel said in a resonating, yet distinctly female voice "you never cease to amaze me." 

"I don't think Sam would ever forgive me if I let you sit in a jar for the next million years."

"Oh, she would. But that's not the point."

"I'm just glad everything worked out."

Gabriel went quiet for a moment. The mirthful gleam in his eye turned to a more thoughtful expression. Daniel wasn't sure that he liked the look he was suddenly getting. 

"Can I give you some advice before you go home, Daniel?"

"Advice?"

"The next time you are given the choice between Ascension and Death, be sure to give Death careful consideration."

"What?"

"You're not like the Ancients, and you will never fit in among the Ascended. You're better than they are, and they will always hate you for it...even if they keep quiet about it." Gabriel said bluntly. "I truly believe that you will find yourself happier with a fresh start rather than holding on to an unchangeable past."

"Well, hopefully I have some time before I have to make that decision again."

"If you change your mind and decided that you don't want to ever have to make it..." Gabriel trailed off, leaving an open invitation.

"I know where to find you." Daniel smiled. "Just don't hold your breath over it."

"I won't. But one thing is certain."

"What's that?"

"Either in this life time or the next...our paths will cross again. I hope on that day we can be friends."

"We already are." 


	29. Chapter 29

Epilogue

Jack sat once more at his desk trying to tame the raging sea of paperwork that had accumulated over the past month. Most of it was so out of date that it was moot and could simply be shredded, which was about the only thing he liked about paperwork. The phone rang for about the tenth time that hour. He was going to ignore it until he noticed that the call was coming from a line off the Base. Rolling his eyes he picked up the annoying device.

"General O'Neill." He answered irritably.

"Jack..."

"Daniel," Jack interrupted "I thought I told you to take a few weeks off. What's up?"

"Jack?" Daniel asked in a overly sweet tone. "You...you wouldn't happened to have signed any Death Certificates lately?"

"No."

"None at all?" Daniel pressed. 

"Not that I can think of."

"Not even one with my name on it?"

"Oooh..." Jack said as he recalled. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"You...guess." Daniel repeated icily.

"It was just a ruse, we didn't think you were dead." Jack explained. "Sam held the wake this time. It was lovely...we had shrimp."

"And you never thought to tell me?"

"It slipped my mind."

"I'm going to kill you." Daniel suddenly growled.

Sam stepped into Jack's office. When she saw that he was on the phone she started to duck back out, however Jack smiled brightly and waved her inside. She watched quietly as Jack turned his attention back to the phone call.

"Yeah, I heard you. What's the big deal?" Jack listened for a moment and then a look of shocked mirth fell over his face. "What?! You're kidding? ...No, no, I am taking this seriously. ...Wipe what look off my face? ...Okay, okay, calm down, Danny. I'll be there as soon as I can, don't...uh...don't go anywhere."

Jack put down the receiver and just stared at it for a second. Sam shifted her weight nervously. Snapping out of his quick daze Jack hunted down his car keys and stood.

"Sir?" Sam asked. "Something wrong?"

"Daniel's been arrested." Jack replied casually.

"What?"

"He was trying to replace his car."

"And they arrested him? Why?"

"Insurance fraud." Jack smiled. 

"Insurance fraud?" Sam repeated skeptically. "Daniel...our Daniel?"

"For impersonating a deceased person on a claim..."

THE END of Hotwired...next up: Rewired. 


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